Jaguar Land Rover enters into partnership with Wolfspeed for semiconductor supply

Jaguar Land Rover has entered into a strategic partnership with technology firm Wolfspeed to secure the supply of silicon carbide semiconductor technology.

Designed for the next generation of electric vehicles, Wolfspeed’s silicon carbide technology will be used in JLR’s electric vehicle inverters, helping to manage the transfer of energy from the battery to the motors. JLR states that the first Range Rover models to use this technology will be available in 2024, with a new fully electric Jaguar following the year after.

Thierry Bolloré, chief executive officer, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “ By developing that into a strategic partnership as part of our Reimagine strategy, we can integrate Wolfspeed’s advanced Silicon Carbide technology into our next generation electric vehicles, delivering extended range and performance capabilities for our clients.”

The collaboration continues one already established between Wolfspeed and the Jaguar TCS Racing team which is currently competing in the Formula E World Championship. Wolfspeed’s silicon carbide technology is used in the electric race car.

This agreement continues JLR’s ambitions to establish strategic partnerships with key industry leaders to aid its vehicle development. In February, the firm announced a partnership with NVIDIA to help develop advanced automated driving systems for its future vehicles.

Gregg Lowe, Wolfspeed president and CEO, said: “Wolfspeed is proud to partner with Jaguar Land Rover, supporting its bold commitment to electrify its iconic brands by using Silicon Carbide’s superior performance, efficiency and range. The energy efficiency of Silicon Carbide will play an essential role as Jaguar Land Rover pursues its own zero carbon goals, and as the world transitions to an all-electric transportation future.”