Recently, Hyundai-Kia Motors Corporation awarded Infineon Technologies AG as "2018 Partner of the Year". Infineon is the first chip manufacturer to receive this award. Scott Lee, General Manager of Infineon Technologies Korea, accepted the award at a ceremony held in Jeju Island, South Korea. Hyundai-Kia Motors has awarded a total of 23 companies in 14 different categories, and Infineon is one of only two partners in the “Overseas Suppliers” category.

The Awards Selection Committee stated that “Infineon has performed well in developing and rapidly introducing new power modules. Our cooperation in creating double-sided cooling products and the improvement of its electrical performance will support the further development of Hyundai in the field of electric vehicles. We look forward to a good long-term partnership can also be established in the future."

In electric vehicles, Infineon's HybridPACKTM series power modules act as an energy bridge between the battery system and the electric drive. These power modules convert the battery's direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) to drive the motor, and the AC generated during braking returns to DC to charge the battery. The efficiency of this process, i.e. how much energy is lost along the way, directly impacts the range of an electric car, the necessary battery size and thus the costs.

"With the increasing number of electric vehicles, the global demand for automotive power semiconductors will continue to grow rapidly," said Peter Schiefer, president of Infineon Automotive. “For example, according to Strategy Analytics, powertrains for full hybrid or plug-in hybrids require 19 times more power semiconductors than traditional cars. Based on our leading module and chip manufacturing capacities on 300mm wafers, we work closely with our customers to provide ample supply of power semiconductors for the upcoming growth of electric vehicles. The award clearly demonstrates our customers' appreciation for our operational excellence and enthusiasm for innovation."