Efficient Traction needs efficient Power Solutions

At the IAA Mobility trade show, which took place in Munich in mid-September, almost 100 % of the vehicles displayed used electrical motors in their powertrain. The IAA is organized by the German car manufacturer’s association, so the main focus is on passenger cars. Even though the German car manufacturers, which are famous for their extremely high sophisticated combustion engines, intend to continue selling their excellent diesel and gasoline-powered cars for a very long time they also had to display their EV (electrical vehicle) solutions in order to compete with the numerous Chinese car OEMs who covered a very significant part of the exhibition space with EVs only.

However, I did not focus my time on just visiting the IAA Open Space, where all the consumers went to see the latest car models which will be launched within the next year(s). Instead, I visited the IAA Summit, where the suppliers dominated the exhibition. All the powertrain-related exhibits I saw were about electric traction. For me this means that the cars of the future will be moved by electric motors only, which is basically good news for our planet.

When I talked to the suppliers it became obvious that the inverters, OBCs (On-Board Chargers) and major DC/DC converters will rely on wide bandgap semiconductors. Currently, this is mainly Silicon Carbide, but when I promised not to quote the individual person or company, I was told that many are intensively checking out the possibilities of using Gallium Nitride semiconductors. By the way: During the panel discussion on the first day of Bodo’s WBG Event in December 2025 (bodoswbg.com) a representative from a major tier 1car supplier will be joining the panel.

However, mobility also means public transport in trains and buses as well. So, let’s take a look at the buses of the past and of the future. When I visited the EV Taiwan trade show in 2013 it was a new experience for me to ride in a purely electrically propelled bus from my hotel to the showgrounds. In 2017 I was still impressed to see that purely electric buses were used for transporting the students of Stanford University in California to and from the surrounding areas.

Since the start of this decade I have encountered an increasing number of purely electrical public buses that are charged via pantographs (similar to trains) at the (terminal) stops. In cities like Venice/Italy, or Kiel/Germany (where Bodo’s headquarters is located) as well as in several other cities e.g. in Switzerland, these E-buses using “opportunity charging” have been performing excellently for many years. Now even the city of Stuttgart/Germany has switched to these kinds of E-buses as part of their “emission-free city 2027” initiative. If the city, where Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Bosch (the world’s largest car supplier) are headquartered, can do it, E-buses will be possible for many other cities in the world as well. So, designers of electric powertrains will continue to be busy in the future.

Bodo’s magazine is delivered by postal service to all places in the world. It is the only magazine that spreads technical information on power electronics globally. We have EETech as a partner serving our clients in North America. If you speak the language, or just want to have a look, don’t miss our Chinese version at bodospowerchina.com. An archive, of every issue of the magazine, is available for free at our website bodospower.com.

My Green Tip of the Month:
Whenever it makes sense, consider taking the bus or train. It’s certainly worth giving this a try and you may like it!

Kind Regards,
Alfred