New silicon carbide power semiconductor to improve hybrid vehicle #fuelefficiency by 10 percent http://t.co/FvD0V5Vbxz

New silicon carbide power semiconductor to improve hybrid vehicle fuel efficiency by 10 percent


Toyota Motor, in collaboration with Denso Corporation, has developed a silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor for use in automotive power control units (PCUs).

Toyota will begin test driving vehicles fitted with the new PCUs on public roads in Japan within a year.

Through use of SiC power semiconductors, Toyota aims to improve hybrid vehicle (HV) fuel efficiency by 10 percent under the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's (MLIT) JC08 test cycle and reduce PCU size by 80 percent compared to current PCUs with silicon-only power semiconductors.

Since launching the "Prius" gasoline-electric HV in 1997, Toyota has been working on in-house development of power semiconductors and on improving HV fuel efficiency.