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SiC high efficiency charging module is highly potential as the demand for high voltage fast charging is surging

Following Porsche's world premiere of the 800V high-voltage platform model Taycan in September 2019, big EV companies have released 800V high-voltage fast-charging models, such as Hyundai IONIQ, Lotus Eletre, BYD Dolphin, Audi RS e-tron GT, etc. All are delivered or having mass production in these two years. 800V fast charging is becoming the mainstream in the market;

CITIC Securities predicts that by 2025, the number of high-voltage fast charging models will reach 5.18 million, and the penetration rate will increase from the current slightly over 10% to 34%. This will become the core driving force for the growth of the high-voltage fast charging market, and upstream companies are expected to directly benefit from it.

According to public information, the charging module is the core component of the charging pile, accounting for about 50% of the total cost of the charging pile; among them, the semiconductor power device accounts for 30% of the charging module cost, that is, the semiconductor power module accounts for about 15% of the charging pile cost, will become the main beneficiary chain in the development process of the charging pile market.

At present, the power devices used in charging piles are mainly IGBTs and MOSFETs, both of which are Si-based products, and the development of charging piles to DC fast charging has put forward higher requirements for power devices. In order to make car charging as fast as refueling at a gas station, automakers are actively seeking materials that can improve efficiency, and silicon carbide is currently the leader. Silicon carbide has the advantages of high temperature resistance, high pressure resistance, high power, etc., which can improve energy conversion efficiency and reduce product volume.

Most electric vehicles use on-board AC charging schemes, which must take several hours to fully charge. Using high power (such as 30kW and above) to realize fast charging of electric vehicles has become the next important layout direction of charging piles.

Despite the advantages with high-power charging piles, it also brings a lot of challenges, such as: the need to realize high-power high-frequency switching operations, and the heat generated by conversion losses. However, SiC MOSFET and diode products have the characteristics of high voltage resistance, high temperature resistance, and fast switching frequency, which can be well used in charging pile modules. Compared with traditional silicon-based devices, silicon carbide modules can increase the output power of charging piles by nearly 30%, and reduce losses by as much as 50%. At the same time, silicon carbide devices can also enhance the stability of charging piles.

For charging piles, cost is still one of the important factors restricting development, so the power density of charging piles is very important, and SiC devices are the key to achieving high power density. As a high-voltage, high-speed, and high-current device, silicon carbide devices simplify the circuit structure of the DC pile charging module, increase the unit power level, and significantly increase the power density, which paves the way for reducing the system cost of the charging pile.

From the perspective of long-term cost and use efficiency, high-power charging piles using SiC devices will usher in huge market opportunities.

According to CITIC Securities data, at present, the penetration rate of silicon carbide devices in new energy vehicle charging piles is only about 10%, which also leaves a wide space for high-power charging piles.

As a leading supplier in the DC charging industry, UUGreenPower has developed and released the charging module product with highest power density, the first IP65 protection level charging module with independent air duct technology. With a strong R&D team and market-oriented principle, UUGreenPower has devoted much effort and successfully developed the 40kW SiC high efficiency charging module. With a breathtaking peak efficiency more than 97% and super wide input voltage range from 150VDC to 1000VDC, the 40kW SiC charging module meets almost all input standards in the world while it saves energy dramatically. With the rapid growth of the number of charging piles, it is believed that SiC MOSFETs, and UUGreenPower 40kW SiC charging module will be more and more frequently used in charging pile that require higher power density in the future.