Yutong Group Delivers Its First Electric Bus in China That Uses Silicon Carbide in Powertrain

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StarPower Semiconductor and Cree, Inc., a leader in silicon carbide semiconductors, announce that Zhengzhou Yutong Group Co., Ltd. (Yutong Group), a large-scale industrial Chinese manufacturer of commercial vehicles that specializes in electric buses, is using Cree 1200V silicon carbide devices in a StarPower power module for its new, industry-leading, high-efficiency powertrain system for electric buses. The use of silicon carbide-based power solutions enables faster, smaller, lighter and more powerful electronic systems for commercial electric vehicles.

The parties are working together to accelerate the commercial adoption of silicon carbide-based inverters in electric bus applications. Upon rollout, Yutong Group will deliver their first electric bus in China to use silicon carbide in its powertrain, representing a significant advancement in providing an even more efficient e-bus to the market.

“Cree and StarPower’s collective effort in driving the innovation of silicon carbide technology perfectly fits with Yutong’s high-end roadmap of powertrain products,” said Mr. Wei Wei, General Manager, Electronic Devices Business Unit Yutong Group. “Yutong is committed to helping travelers experience the comfort and beauty of the world through sustainable bus travel, and this collaboration ensures we are able to provide an even more efficient electric bus through the benefits of silicon carbide.”

Coupled with StarPower’s power module technology, the use of Cree’s silicon carbide-based MOSFET in the powertrain will help extend driving range while lowering weight and conserving space.

“StarPower entered the new energy vehicle market in 2008 and, in that time, we have won the recognition from worldwide new energy vehicle customers as a leader in the space. It’s our great honor to become the power module supplier of the Yutong powertrain system,” said Mr. Shen Hua, CEO of StarPower. “We are committed to bringing customers more state-of-the-art products and will continue strengthening our competitiveness.”

01/07/2020 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007

On January 5, Editor Nolan Johnson attended the CES press kickoff presentation “2020 Trends to Watch,” which was hosted by CES Vice President of Research Steve Koenig and CES Director of Research Lesley Rohrbaugh. Koenig and Rohrbaugh set the stage for the week with their presentation, answering the question, “What’s happening in the industry?”