With 800V high-voltage platforms now being widely adopted in mass-produced EVs, significant improvements in charging efficiency and driving range have been realized. However, to truly achieve a user experience comparable to internal combustion engine vehicles, leading automakers are setting their sights on the next level: kilovolt-class platforms.
According to industry reports, major players including Tesla, BYD, Xiaomi, NIO, Ledao, Dongfeng, IM, and Lucid are developing 900V architectures, with a clear roadmap toward 1200V systems.
A key trend among these front-running OEMs is their widespread adoption of Silicon Carbide (SiC) as the core technology for their electric drive systems. To match the increased system voltage, the voltage rating of SiC MOSFETs is being elevated to 1500V–1700V. For instance, BYD has successfully developed and mass-produced 1500V SiC power chips, while Dongfeng’s eπ brand plans to adopt 1700V SiC power modules in its next-generation 1000V+ platforms.
The fundamental reason for this industry-wide shift to SiC in high-voltage platforms lies in the substantial system-level benefits it delivers. Research from Vitesco Technologies indicates that in a 400V platform, a SiC-based main inverter can improve efficiency by approximately 3% compared to a silicon-based solution. In 800V platforms, SiC devices significantly reduce conduction and switching losses under WLTP conditions, extending the driving range for a given battery capacity and indirectly lowering battery costs.
As platform voltages climb to the kilovolt level, the performance limitations of silicon-based devices become increasingly apparent, making SiC the inevitable choice for breakthrough efficiency. BYD, for example, leverages its 1000V full-domain architecture with 1500V SiC modules to achieve a 50% improvement in charging efficiency—enabling 400 km of range with a 5-minute charge—along with a 50% increase in motor power density to 16.4 kW/kg, giving it a strong competitive edge.
Currently, leading automakers like BYD are accelerating the deployment of kilovolt platforms. BYD has further revealed plans to extend this kilovolt architecture technology across its entire model range, including entry-level products like the Qin LEV. This move is expected to drive SiC demand to new heights across the automotive market. Taking the Han L EV’s 1500V SiC module solution as an example, its single e-drive controller uses 3 modules, totaling 60 chips. It is estimated that just 6 single-motor vehicles can consume one 6-inch SiC wafer.
By 2030, annual installations of new energy vehicles equipped with 800-1000V architectures are projected to exceed 7 million units, an increase of more than 8 times from the current level. This widespread adoption of high-voltage platforms will unlock vast new market opportunities for the SiC industry.
As vehicle platforms evolve toward kilovolt levels, the voltage withstand requirements for critical components like e-drive controllers and onboard chargers (OBC) also rise to kilovolt-class. The operational stability of the internal SiC devices is directly linked to vehicle safety and reliability.
To fully leverage the performance advantages of SiC MOSFETs in high-voltage, high-frequency switching applications and ensure their safe, stable, and efficient operation, they must be paired with high-performance isolated gate drivers.
However, as the automotive bus voltage jumps to kilovolt levels and automakers turn to 1500V–1700V SiC chips, the demands on these gate drivers become far more stringent. They must offer not only higher isolation withstand voltage but also simultaneous breakthroughs in response speed, noise immunity, and long-term reliability.
Market analysis indicates that existing isolation technologies struggle to meet the gate driving requirements for SiC MOSFETs operating above 1500V and 100kHz. There is a pressing need for advanced, new-generation isolated gate driver technology to overcome challenges related to high-voltage isolation, switching losses, and crosstalk suppression, ensuring stable driving of SiC MOSFETs in high-voltage, high-frequency environments.
Notably, the domestic supplier, Deke Microelectronics, has introduced its 4th-generation isolation technology and launched the world’s first ultra-high voltage millimeter-wave isolated driver chip series—the DKV56—which has entered mass production. Compared to traditional isolation technologies, it offers four key advantages, providing critical support for SiC MOSFETs in kilovolt-class automotive platforms:
•High Isolation Voltage: The required isolation voltage for a gate driver is typically 3-5 times the SiC MOSFET’s voltage rating. While mainstream isolation technologies offer 3-7kV withstand capability, millimeter-wave isolation chips feature an insulation layer thickness exceeding 1000µm, easily achieving isolation voltages above 10kV, thus fully meeting the needs of high-voltage SiC devices. In extended high-voltage reliability tests, the DKV56 series maintained stable operation with zero failures at the equipment’s test limits of 20kV isolation voltage and 30kV surge voltage.
High CMTI: To leverage the high switching speed of SiC MOSFETs for superior system efficiency and power density, the isolated gate driver must possess excellent Common-Mode Transient Immunity (CMTI). The fast switching of SiC devices can generate significant common-mode noise. If the driver’s CMTI is insufficient (typically requiring ≥200 kV/µs), it can lead to erroneous triggering or even catastrophic bridge shoot-through faults. Traditional optocouplers and digital capacitive isolators, limited by internal structure, suffer from high parasitic capacitance, typically confining their CMTI performance to 100–150 kV/µs. In contrast, Deke’s millimeter-wave chip, through structural optimization, reduces parasitic capacitance, with tested CMTI exceeding 200 kV/µs.
Low Propagation Delay: To fully utilize the high switching speed of SiC MOSFETs (with typical delays around 10 ns, supporting frequencies ≥100 kHz), the signal delay of the isolated gate driver must be lower than that of the power device itself. Excessive driver delay increases switching losses, limits system frequency, and reduces overall efficiency. While mainstream digital isolators have delays around 10 ns, Deke’s DKV56 series uses millimeter-wave wireless isolation technology to compress signal transmission delay to below 3 ns, enhancing switching control precision and system efficiency.
High Integration: To match the compact SiC MOSFET packaging, the gate driver must achieve a high level of integration within a small footprint, saving PCB area and reducing system cost. The millimeter-wave isolated driver chip uses a single-chip integrated architecture, eliminating the need for complex peripheral circuits, significantly reducing component count and PCB area, and simplifying system design. Furthermore, this solution is compatible with standard CMOS processes and conventional packaging, ensuring good cost control and mass production feasibility.
It is reported that Deke’s millimeter-wave isolation chips are currently undergoing testing and validation at several leading industry chain companies and are accelerating towards mass production. They are expected to provide new momentum for unleashing the performance of high-voltage SiC devices and the rapid deployment of kilovolt-platform vehicles.
In conclusion, the EV “voltage race” is pushing the industry into a new phase of deep technological competition. As kilovolt platforms and high-voltage SiC become critical paths for performance breakthroughs, the competitive focus is shifting toward the synergistic innovation of the entire e-drive system architecture.
In this context, the emergence of a new generation of millimeter-wave isolated gate driver chips will further accelerate the adoption of kilovolt platforms in EV models. It is not merely a technical solution to a high-voltage driving challenge but also a catalyst propelling EV powertrains toward higher power density, greater efficiency, and increased intelligence, helping automakers build core differentiated advantages in the competition for next-generation e-drive technology.
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