Jaguar Land Rover Korea has announced a strategic partnership with Wolfspeed, a global leader in silicon carbide semiconductor technology, to enhance the efficiency of next-generation electric vehicle powertrains and provide a longer driving range.
Following its Reimagine strategy, Jaguar Land Rover is prioritizing electrification to achieve net-zero carbon emissions throughout its supply chain, products, services, and operations by 2039.
Wolfspeed’s pioneering silicon carbide semiconductor technology will be utilized in inverters, which are responsible for converting power from the battery to the electric motor. The first all-electric Land Rover incorporating this advanced technology is set to launch in 2024, followed by Jaguar’s electric models in 2025.
This partnership builds on the existing collaboration between the Jaguar TCS Racing team, which has a track record of success in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, and Wolfspeed. The Jaguar TCS Racing team has been leveraging progressive silicon carbide technology to enhance efficiency and performance on the track.
Jaguar Land Rover is establishing strategic partnerships with industry-leading companies for the development of future modern luxury vehicles. In February, Jaguar Land Rover announced a partnership with NVIDIA to focus on building advanced software-defined autonomous driving systems for next-generation vehicles, set to launch in 2025.
Thierry Bolloré, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, stated, “The Jaguar TCS Racing team and Wolfspeed have achieved remarkable results during our collaboration over five seasons in Formula E. By evolving our relationship with Wolfspeed into a strategic partnership as part of our Reimagine strategy, we aim to integrate Wolfspeed’s advanced silicon carbide semiconductor technology into our future electric vehicle models, thereby offering customers extended driving ranges and enhanced performance.”
Through this partnership, Jaguar Land Rover will join Wolfspeed’s Supply Assurance Program™ to secure critical technology for future electric vehicle production. This will enhance visibility and control over Jaguar Land Rover’s future supply chain and play a key role in creating a new value chain within the company’s operations and supply chain.
Wolfspeed possesses the world’s leading technology for powering electric propulsion systems across the entire voltage spectrum from 400V to 800V. The silicon carbide semiconductor power device solutions are manufactured at Wolfspeed’s Mohawk Valley Fab in New York, the world’s largest 200mm silicon carbide semiconductor manufacturing facility, that opened in April 2022.
The fully automated facility dramatically expands Wolfspeed’s capacity for silicon carbide semiconductor technology and is expected to meet the growing demand in electric vehicle production and other advanced technology sectors worldwide.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr