Chipmaker Nexperia has confirmed it is exploring a “strategic” partnership with Aurobay, targeting power semiconductor technology for the automotive industry.
The proposed collaboration would combine Nexperia’s expertise in gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors with Aurobay’s experience in designing and integrating powertrain systems.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Aurobay is the powertrain division of Horse Powertrain, the venture owned by Geely, Renault Group and Aramco.
The companies intend to explore expanded cooperation across semiconductor development and powertrain integration to support upcoming electrified and hybrid vehicle platforms.
Nexperia head of wide-bandgap business group, IGBTs and modules Edoardo Merli said: “By working closely with Aurobay Technologies, we can better understand system-level requirements and evaluate how advanced semiconductor technologies can deliver measurable benefits at the vehicle level.”
The move follows a previous partnership under which Nexperia provided GaN components for Aurobay’s power generation system used in range extender applications.
According to the statement, that project demonstrated how wide-bandgap semiconductors can improve efficiency while reducing the size and weight of automotive systems.
Building on this foundation, the two firms plan to investigate methods for enhancing power electronics architectures for applications including traction inverters and power generation systems, incorporating early co-design and system-level optimisation efforts.
Nexperia stated that wide-bandgap semiconductor technology is becoming increasingly important in vehicle electrification as manufacturers seek greater efficiency, higher power density and more compact powertrain designs.
According to GlobalData, the parent company of Just Auto, GaN and SiC technologies improve EV power electronics through quicker switching speeds, enhanced efficiency, more compact designs and better thermal management.
SiC is central to high-power inverters and chargers, whilst GaN suits fast, compact power conversion applications.
Aurobay advanced engineering on electrical components chief engineer Ma Yongquan added: “Our experience integrating Nexperia’s GaN technology into a highly integrated power generation system demonstrated the potential of close collaboration across the value chain.
In a separate development, Reuters reported that a Chinese court has frozen assets belonging to Nexperia and its equipment division valued at up to 2.14bn yuan ($318.4m), following a case brought by the company’s Chinese parent, Wingtech Technology.
In October last year, Wingtech lost control of Nexperia following intervention by Dutch authorities, a move that has heightened tensions between China and the Netherlands and sparked concerns over global chip supply chains serving the automotive and consumer electronics sectors.
Nexperia said the court-ordered measures “do not affect the day-to-day operations, management, or business continuity of Nexperia”, noting the case has not yet been examined on its merits.
