Nexperia and Aurobay Technologies, part of Horse Powertrain, are considering a strategic partnership to develop advanced power semiconductor technologies for automotive applications. The potential collaboration would bring together Nexperia’s capabilities in gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors with Aurobay Technologies’ expertise in powertrain engineering, system design, and integration.
The companies are building on earlier work involving Nexperia’s GaN devices in Aurobay Technologies’ compact power generation system designed for range-extender vehicles. That project highlighted how wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductor technologies can deliver higher power-conversion efficiency while helping reduce system weight and footprint. It also showed their ability to operate reliably under demanding automotive conditions.
Following these results, Nexperia and Aurobay Technologies plan to examine additional opportunities to enhance power electronics architectures for hybrid and electrified vehicles. Potential areas include traction inverters and power generation systems, where semiconductor performance and effective system integration play an important role in determining efficiency, power density, and overall vehicle architecture.
The proposed cooperation would place greater emphasis on integrating semiconductor development with powertrain engineering from the early stages of product development. The companies will explore joint engineering and co-design strategies that evaluate semiconductor properties alongside specific powertrain requirements. This system-level approach could help uncover new ways to enhance electrical performance, improve efficiency, and create smaller, more highly integrated powertrain systems.
Wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors are gaining greater attention in the automotive sector as manufacturers work to improve powertrain efficiency while making electrical systems smaller and lighter. Gallium nitride (GaN) enables fast switching and efficient power conversion, whereas silicon carbide (SiC) is well suited for high-voltage, high-power applications that demand strong thermal performance. Through their collaboration, Nexperia and Aurobay Technologies will examine how both technologies can be integrated into various powertrain designs.
The initiative aims to help advance scalable, high-performance propulsion and power-generation systems for upcoming electric and hybrid vehicles. By combining semiconductor innovation with powertrain engineering and integration expertise, the companies hope to identify practical ways to expand the use of WBG power devices across automotive applications.
