ROHM revealed that it has entered into a technical alliance with Geely Automobile, a major Chinese automobile, in the field of next-generation semiconductors with high energy-saving performance.
🟩 Geely adopts ROHM’s SiC for EV core system
ROHM and China’s Geely Automobile (Geely) have concluded a technical alliance to use ROHM’s new-generation semiconductors in the core EV system that Geely Automobile is currently developing. SiC (silicon carbide) semiconductors have the characteristic of reducing power consumption compared to conventional silicon semiconductors, so if they are used in EV core systems, it is expected to have the effect of reducing the size of batteries and extending the cruising range.
Geely Automobile is a major Chinese national automobile, which owns Sweden’s Volvo Car and also has a stake in Germany’s Daimler.
🟩loam SiC (silicon carbide) semiconductors
The SiC semiconductors manufactured by ROHM account for about 20% of the global market. In anticipation of future demand in the automotive industry, the company plans to make an additional investment of tens of billions of yen by 2025. In addition, ROHM’s strength is that it has SiC wafer manufacturing psychrystas under its umbrella and can develop vertically integrated types from wafers to electronic components.
🟩 Geely’s investment in EVs
Geely Automobile is actively developing EVs and announced in January this year that it will establish a new EV company with Honghai Precision Industries in Taiwan. Focusing on the energy-saving performance of SiC power semiconductors, the company has been accelerating development by teaming up with ROHM, with whom it has been cooperating since 2018. ROHM’s SiC will be applied to all Geely EV platforms from 2022.
🟩Summary
ROHM and Geely are considering the use of SiC semiconductors to strengthen their EV business
It is unusual for an automobile manufacturer and a semiconductor component manufacturer to directly work together to develop the product. Geely is prioritizing development speed and is probably developing directly with ROHM without using automotive parts suppliers. I would like ROHM to improve his technical capabilities so that he will not be defeated by China’s sense of speed.
