US DoE to fund GM & NexGen drive system project

California-based GaN semiconductor manufacturer NexGen Power Systems has announced that its collaborative project with General Motors had been awarded funding by the US Department of Energy for the development of electric drive systems.

The aim of the joint development project is to enhance the efficiency, performance, and overall sustainability of electric vehicles and intends to focus its efforts on power electronics design, motor integration, thermal management, and system-level optimization for electric drive systems, using NexGen’s Vertical GaN semiconductors.

In February 2023, NexGen announced an update “regarding the availability of engineering samples for its 700V and 1200V semiconductors. NexGen’s current generation 1200V, 1 Ohm, Vertical GaN e-mode Fin-jFETs have successfully demonstrated >1 MHz switching at 1.4kV rated voltage”, which the company states builds the basis for today’s announcement.

“We are excited that the DoE award gives us the opportunity to develop GaN-based electric drive systems with a leading automotive manufacturer like General Motors,” said Shahin Sharifzadeh, Chief Executive Officer of NexGen. “This collaboration will help us introduce Vertical GaN based inverter drive systems to the electric vehicle market and will help enable auto makers to improve range, reduce weight, and enhance system reliability.”

prnewswire.com