Renault and Vitesco jointly develop power electronics
Renault Group and Vitesco Technologies have entered into a strategic partnership for the joint development and production of power electronics. The so-called “One Box” is to be used in electric and hybrid drives.
The aim is to combine the DC-DC converter, the on-board charger and the inverter in a compact housing, according to Vitesco. In this way, the partners want to achieve “maximum competitiveness in terms of performance and costs”.
The volume of the “One Box” is to be 45 per cent less than the components that have been installed separately up to now. This should offer advantages in terms of space and comfort. Vitesco does not specify further performance data or the targeted cost advantages in the press release.
At the end of the development, which will be mainly based in Toulouse, there will be a kind of construction kit: By combining different basic components, the “On Box” can be adapted to different electric and hybrid drives. The new development will be used in Renault’s hybrid and electric cars, which will be on the market from 2026.
“With this step, we will not only become a key ally of Renault Group on power electronics, but it is also an important milestone to further strengthen our growth in the field of electrification,” says Vitesco CEO Andreas Wolf.
Gilles Le Borgne, Renault Group’s Executive Vice President Engineering, added: “We are delighted to take a new step today with Vitesco Technologies, a long-standing Renault Group partner in electric vehicles whose expertise in power electronics is recognized worldwide. Together, we will design and develop a state-of-the-art “One Box”, unique on the market, which will be a real competitive advantage.”
However, the current agreement goes beyond the development of the “One Box”: as part of this partnership, Renault Group is simultaneously signing a multi-year contract with Vitesco Technologies for the power electronics of Renault’s hybrid vehicles. In addition, Vitesco Technologies will supply Renault Group with a so-called ‘High Voltage Box’, combining DC/DC converter and charger, for the electric vehicles from 2025. Details of the two orders are not known.
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