GaN power electronics for bidirectional, single-phase DC electric vehicle charging - EurekAlert!

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid-State Physics (IAF) have developed a gallium nitride (GaN)-based power electronics module for 800 V bidirectional DC charging systems, as part... Read original →

Fraunhofer IAF’s 1200V GaN bidirectional power module directly threatens silicon IGBT dominance in 800V EV architectures. Its substrate biasing-free monolithic switch simplifies gate drivers and pushes off-board chargers beyond 3kW/L, forcing GaN-on-SiC epitaxy suppliers to accelerate 6-inch wafer yield ramp. Under the EU Battery Regulation and CBAM, energy efficiency is becoming a de facto supply chain gatekeeper—compelling OEMs to embed GaN in ESG-compliant procurement. In response, Infineon and STMicroelectronics may acquire Taiwan, China-based GaN IDMs for vertical control, while Wolfspeed could bundle SiC and GaN offerings to lock Tier 1s. Within 18 months, GaN’s share in DC fast charging is poised to surge from under 5% to 20%, catalyzing vehicle-grid-storage integrated energy nodes as a new commercial paradigm.