Role of Power Chips in EVs in 2026

Power Chips/semiconductors are at the heart of electric vehicles (EVs) and are a critical part of the systems that power them. They define key metrics such as performance, reliability, and range for EVs. Power chips make for a major cost in the EV electronics, and a careful selection of the right device technologies is very important in achieving the balance between performance and economies in the coming year, writes Vijay Bolloju, Director R&D, iVP Semiconductor.

Electronic systems used in EVs are required to handle high powers and currents in harsh operating conditions. Hence, the thermo-mechanical design of the electronic systems is of paramount importance. The performance and safety of the power chips depend highly on the thermo-mechanical designs and materials used to build the systems.

A variety of power chips are used for different systems to maximize performance. It is important to understand the subsystem functions, operation, and performance requirements to choose the right power chips.

EV 2W / 3W and small delivery vehicles use low battery voltages (< 96V). They predominantly use low-voltage silicon MOSFETs for Motor control, Battery Management Systems, DC-DC converters, etc. These devices offer the best cost-performance optimisation. The semiconductor industry keeps improving the performance of LV MOSFETs due to a great demand for low-voltage MOSFETs in multiple application segments like EVs, Telecom, and other industry applications. The latest development is the introduction of newer, more efficient high-current packages, such as TOLL and TOLT packages. TOLT is a particularly breakthrough package offering from the industry. The TOLT package allows SMT mounting of the devices while allowing direct heat transfer from the top side of the package. This is going to transform the high-power system designs.

The chargers use high-voltage devices for PFC circuits and DC-DC converters. A variety of device technologies are available with cost and performance trade-offs. Standalone charges can be larger and industrial-grade. Depending on the chargers’ power rating, they can use Super-junction MOSFETs for the AC-DC conversion and DC-DC step-down converters. They have moderate switching performance and are a lower-cost option.

For larger power chargers and fast chargers, efficiency and energy conservation are critical. In such chargers, wide-bandgap power chips such as SiC and GaN are a better fit. They offer lower losses and faster switching speeds. As a result, system efficiency can be improved and size reduced. However, the cost of such devices is usually 3 to 4 times that of silicon-based devices. A careful trade-off needs to be studied to decide on the power chips.

As wideband gap devices switch much faster than silicon-based devices, designing systems with these devices requires careful consideration of circuit design, Gate driver selection, and PCB and system layout to reduce the effects of parasitics and ensure reliable operation. An ill-designed WBG-based system can be unreliable and can cause early failures. The WBG power chips also have special requirements for the Gate driver specifications. Especially, GaN devices have strict limits for the Gate drive voltage levels. It is essential to ensure safe operating conditions to achieve high reliability.  

Even though wideband-gap devices are getting a lot of limelight, silicon IGBTs have a lot to offer in traction-inverter applications. The inverters usually switch around 20 kHz and conduct large currents. IGBTs offer high efficiency at high-current, low-frequency applications. They are very robust and offer short-circuit capability. IGBTs also have very robust gate-to-source specifications and are useful in applications such as motor controllers. They also offer a low-cost alternative to wide-bandgap materials in this space. Recent developments in IGBT technologies make them a very strong contender for these applications.

Besides the development of power chip technologies, packaging and thermal management are critical to achieving maximum performance with these devices. An innovative approach to these aspects can deliver maximum performance and lower the cost per ampere. A careful analysis of the complete thermal stack performance to reduce temperature ripple is essential to improving the product’s lifetime. Increased ripple causes stress between different layers of the stack due to the differences in the temperature coefficient of expansion. These stresses can result in early failures and a shortened product lifetime.

Overall, in 2026, the application of appropriate power chip technologies and innovative thermal designs and packaging can result in maximised performance and long-term reliability. These metrics will result in a lower cost of ownership for the end customer.

Authored by:

Vijay Bolloju, Director R&D, iVP Semiconductor

Also read: Semiconductors enable over 90% of innovations in automotive industry