Transforming Rail Travel: Škoda Group and Hitachi Energy’s Semiconductor business Partnership Driving Sustainable Mobility - Hitachi Energy

Škoda Group and Hitachi Energy have partnered to revolutionize rail travel in Central Europe by introducing Battery Electric Multiple Units (BEMUs), leveraging Hitachi Energy’s Silicon Carbide (SiC) L... Read original →

This partnership elevates power semiconductors from ancillary components to the core innovation driver in rail systems. Deployment of SiC LinPak modules in BEMUs will force upstream wafer fabs to accelerate 8-inch SiC capacity and compel downstream traction converter designs toward higher switching frequencies and lower losses. EU’s ‘Fit for 55’ and ETCS rollout deadlines have internalized carbon compliance into procurement criteria, pressuring rivals like CRRC and Alstom to field comparable SiC-based solutions within 18 months or forfeit Central European tenders. Critically, HV LinPak’s low stray inductance mitigates energy reflection risks during regenerative braking—a key differentiator for next-gen medium-voltage traction platforms. Over the next 24 months, semiconductor content per train will become a decisive tender evaluation metric, with firms mastering SiC packaging and system-level thermal management capturing the lion’s share of green rail value chains.