In a groundbreaking announcement, Infineon Technologies AG has joined forces with OMRON Social Solutions Co. Ltd., a trailblazing company in social systems technology. This strategic partnership integrates Infineon’s cutting-edge gallium nitride (GaN) based power solutions with OMRON’s innovative circuit topology and control technology, resulting in the creation of one of Japan’s smallest and lightest vehicle-to-everything (V2X) charging systems.
The collaboration leverages Infineon’s CoolGaN technology within the KPEP-A series, a multi-V2X system by OMRON Social Solutions. This system achieves a 60% reduction in size and weight compared to conventional designs while offering a charging capability of 6 kW. With the integration of Infineon’s CoolGaN solution, the V2X system exhibits increased power efficiency, with improvements exceeding 10% at light load and approximately 4% at rated load.
OMRON Social Solutions has enhanced its EV charger and discharger system, enabling bi-directional charging and discharging paths between renewable energy sources, the grid, and EV batteries. This development aligns with broader efforts to accelerate the transition to renewable energies, promote a smarter grid, and facilitate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, thereby advancing decarbonization and digitalization initiatives.
Adam White, Division President of Power & Sensor Systems at Infineon, expressed excitement about the collaboration, stating, “Our CoolGaN-based solutions directly contribute to speeding up the transition to renewable energies, reducing CO2 emissions, and driving decarbonization. It will also make charging electric vehicles easier and more convenient for consumers, helping to overcome one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption.”
Atsushi Sasawaki, Managing Executive Officer and Senior General Manager for the Energy Solutions Business of OMRON Social Solutions highlighted the significance of the collaboration, stating, “Having access to a broad portfolio of wide bandgap (WBG) solutions significantly increases the functionality, performance, and quality of our products. We look forward to further developing GaN- and SiC-based power solutions with Infineon to help drive renewable energy and electric vehicles.”
Wide bandgap semiconductors made of silicon carbide and gallium nitride play a pivotal role in this collaboration, offering greater power efficiency, smaller size, lighter weight, and lower overall cost than conventional semiconductors. With over two decades of heritage in SiC and GaN technology development, Infineon is positioned as a leading power supplier, addressing the need for smarter, more efficient energy generation, transmission, and consumption.