Volkswagen Tianjin has signed an agreement with Chinese supplier Leadrive Technology to jointly develop silicon carbide powe
China: Volkswagen Tianjin unit partners with Leadrive on SiC power modules
Type: News Repost
Volkswagen Tianjin has signed an agreement with Chinese supplier Leadrive Technology to jointly develop silicon carbide powe
> Republished by AIC Engineering. All rights belong to the original publisher; see Source below.
Volkswagen Tianjin has signed an agreement with Chinese supplier Leadrive Technology to jointly develop silicon carbide power modules for electric vehicles. The partnership supports Volkswagen's localisation strategy for key EV components in China.
Volkswagen Automatic Transmission (Tianjin), despite its name, is no longer focused solely on transmissions. The company serves as one of Volkswagen Group’s key powertrain and component manufacturing sites in China and has expanded its activities in recent years to include the development and production of electric drive components, including electric motors.
The partners did not disclose any financial details, production targets or vehicle programmes linked to the memorandum. They did state that the collaboration will cover the development of power semiconductor modules, electronic control systems and complete electric drive solutions. Leadrive said the aim is to ‘bring high-performance electrified powertrain technologies into production’ while supporting their further development.
The agreement expands an existing technical partnership between Volkswagen Group and Leadrive, extending the relationship to one of the most strategically important areas of EV technology: power electronics. Their previous cooperation focused on electric drive systems and dual-controller solutions for hybrid powertrains.
Silicon carbide semiconductors have become increasingly important for battery-electric vehicles because they reduce energy losses and improve the efficiency of inverters, which convert the battery’s direct current into alternating current for the electric motor. Compared with conventional silicon semiconductors, SiC technology can also support higher voltages and faster charging, making it particularly suitable for next-generation electric vehicles.
The partnership also fits into Volkswagen’s ‘In China, for China’ strategy. The German carmaker has increasingly shifted development and sourcing to China in recent years to shorten development cycles and strengthen cooperation with local suppliers as competition in the country’s electric vehicle market intensifies.
Leadrive Technology, founded in 2017, develops power semiconductor modules, motor controllers and integrated power bricks in-house. The company says its vertically integrated approach enables it to combine power module development with electronic control systems to deliver complete electric propulsion solutions for vehicle manufacturers.
Source
- electrive · 电驱 (2026-08-06)
- Original article: China: Volkswagen Tianjin unit partners with Leadrive on SiC power modules