May 30, 2025 /SemiMedia/ — Renesas Electronics has cancelled its plan to manufacture next-generation silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, reflecting growing challenges in the EV semiconductor landscape and supply chain instability.

The decision follows mounting uncertainty surrounding Wolfspeed, Renesas’ contracted SiC wafer supplier. In 2023, Renesas paid Wolfspeed a $2 billion upfront fee for a ten-year supply agreement. With Wolfspeed now reportedly facing potential bankruptcy, the Japanese chipmaker may be unable to recover the investment.

The SiC sector, once forecast for rapid expansion, is experiencing headwinds. A slowdown in EV adoption, coupled with a surge in Chinese SiC device output, has led to price compression across the market. Chinese automakers, under domestic policy guidance and cost concerns, are increasingly sourcing from local semiconductor suppliers.

According to Tokyo-based market research firm Fuji Kenzai, the global SiC chip market reached $2.69 billion in 2023, growing 18% year-on-year. However, that figure fell short of the previously forecast 27% growth, signaling tempered optimism across the industry.

Renesas’ withdrawal could trigger a reshuffle of global SiC supply chains, as manufacturers reconsider capital deployment in an environment shaped by geopolitical risk, volatile demand, and intensified regional competition.