Power2Power · Project

European Silicon Power Electronics for Cheaper Electric Vehicles, Trains and Grid Systems

energyPilotedTRL 5

Every electric car, train, and solar inverter needs power electronics — the "brain" that converts and manages electricity. Right now, most of these components are expensive and not efficient enough. Power2Power brought together 46 European companies and universities, led by Infineon, to build better silicon-based power chips and prove they work in real automotive inverters, railway systems, EV chargers, and grid-scale batteries. Think of it as upgrading the electrical nervous system of everything that runs on electricity.

By the numbers

80kW

Automotive inverter power level demonstrated

800V

Operating voltage for automotive inverter

11kW

Three-phase EV charger with galvanic isolation

10-15kW

Rolling stock battery charger-converter capacity

Consortium partners across the supply chain

European countries involved

SMEs in the consortium

59%

Industry participation ratio

The business problem

What needed solving

Electric vehicles, trains, and power grids all depend on power electronics to convert and manage electricity efficiently. Current components are either too expensive (wide-bandgap materials like SiC/GaN) or not efficient enough (older silicon designs) for the volumes needed to hit European decarbonisation targets. Manufacturers need production-ready, cost-effective power semiconductor solutions with a fully European supply chain.

The solution

What was built

The project built 8 physical demonstrators: an 80kW/800V automotive inverter at TRL5, an 11kW three-phase EV charger with galvanic isolation, railway energy recovery power stacks tested in real-world conditions, a 10-15kW rolling stock battery charger-converter, an industrial welding power converter, a commutation cell for thermal and electrical verification, a universal rolling stock test bench, and a battery storage system with EV charger installed in the Netherlands for grid congestion management.

Audience

Who needs this

EV powertrain manufacturers needing cost-effective 800V inverter solutionsRailway OEMs upgrading energy recovery and auxiliary power systemsGrid operators and energy storage integrators dealing with congestion managementIndustrial welding equipment manufacturers seeking more efficient power sourcesEV charging infrastructure companies developing three-phase chargers

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive & Electric Mobility

enterprise

Target: Electric vehicle manufacturers or Tier-1 automotive suppliers

If you are an EV manufacturer struggling with inverter cost and efficiency — this project built an automotive inverter demonstrator at TRL5 delivering up to 80kW at 800V using next-generation IGBT modules. Silicon-based components offer a better cost-to-performance ratio than SiC or GaN alternatives, which means lower bill-of-materials cost for your powertrain without sacrificing performance.

Railway & Rolling Stock

enterprise

Target: Train manufacturers or railway operators investing in energy recovery

If you are a rolling stock manufacturer looking to improve energy recovery and onboard power systems — this project developed and partially tested xHP2-based power stacks for railway energy recovery in real-world operating conditions, plus a 10-15kW battery charger-converter tested against typical rail vehicle disturbances. These solutions can reduce energy waste in braking and auxiliary power systems.

Grid Infrastructure & Energy Storage

mid-size

Target: Utilities, grid operators, or energy storage integrators

If you are a grid operator or energy storage company dealing with congestion management and power quality issues — this project installed a battery energy system integrated into power electronics in the Netherlands, demonstrating congestion management, power quality improvement, and flexible grid functions. The validated EV charger and battery storage demonstrator shows a path to deployable grid-balancing solutions.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt these power electronics solutions?

The project does not publish per-unit pricing. However, the core argument is that silicon-based solutions outperform newer materials like SiC and GaN in cost-to-performance ratio for many applications. This means adopting these results should be cheaper than switching to wide-bandgap alternatives for the power ranges demonstrated (up to 80kW).

Can these solutions scale to industrial production volumes?

Yes — the project was specifically designed around a digitized pilot line approach for high-volume production of smart power electronics, with the entire supply chain located in Europe. Led by Infineon, a major semiconductor manufacturer, the consortium of 46 partners across 8 countries focused on transitioning from lab results to production-ready processes.

Who owns the IP, and can I license these technologies?

IP is distributed among the 46 consortium partners, with Infineon Technologies Dresden as coordinator. As an Innovation Action, the project was designed for exploitation of results. Licensing discussions would need to go through the specific partner that developed the component you need — for example, Infineon for IGBT modules.

What TRL levels were actually achieved?

The automotive inverter demonstrator explicitly reached TRL5. Other demonstrators — including the railway energy recovery system, welding power converter, and grid battery storage — were built and tested in controlled or simulated environments, suggesting TRL4-5 across the board. The Netherlands battery storage site operated in a controlled real-world environment.

How do these silicon solutions compare to SiC and GaN alternatives?

Based on the project's own assessment, silicon-based power solutions outperform SiC and GaN in cost-to-performance ratio and reliability for many applications, and will continue to do so for years. This matters most for high-power applications like 800V automotive inverters and railway systems where cost per kilowatt is critical.

Is regulatory compliance addressed for automotive and railway use?

The demonstrators were designed for specific application domains — automotive (800V inverters), railway (energy recovery systems meeting rail vehicle disturbance standards), and grid (congestion management). Based on available project data, compliance testing was part of demonstrator validation, particularly the rail charger-converter tested against typical rail vehicle disturbances.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavyweight industrial consortium — 46 partners across 8 European countries with Infineon Technologies Dresden leading, one of the world's largest power semiconductor manufacturers. The 59% industry ratio (27 industrial partners) signals serious commercial intent, not an academic exercise. With 13 SMEs in the mix, the supply chain coverage extends from chip design through module assembly to end applications. The 13 university partners provide the R&D backbone, while 6 research organizations bridge the gap. Countries span the core European semiconductor corridor: Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Finland, and others. For a business looking to adopt these technologies, this means proven supply chain depth and multiple potential technology providers already positioned in Europe.

INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES DRESDEN AG & Co. KGCoordinator · DE
SLOVENSKA TECHNICKA UNIVERZITA V BRATISLAVEparticipant · SK
ABB OYparticipant · FI
TECNOLOGIAS SERVICIOS TELEMATICOS YSISTEMAS SAparticipant · ES
ADVANCED PACKAGING CENTER BVparticipant · NL
BOSCHMAN TECHNOLOGIES BVparticipant · NL
INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AGparticipant · AT
SILTRONIC AGparticipant · DE
X-FAB SEMICONDUCTOR FOUNDRIES GMBHparticipant · DE
FAGOR AUTOMATION S COOPparticipant · ES
INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AGparticipant · DE
JIACO INSTRUMENTS BVparticipant · NL
AALTO KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SRparticipant · FI
AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICASparticipant · ES
VIRTUAL VEHICLE RESEARCH GMBHparticipant · AT
X-FAB Dresden GmbH & Co. KGparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITAET BREMENparticipant · DE
SILICON AUSTRIA LABS GMBHparticipant · AT
INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES CEGLED TELJESITMENYFELVEZETOKET GYARTO KORLATOLT FELELOSSEGU TARSASAGparticipant · HU
BRUSA ELEKTRONIK AGparticipant · CH
EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICHparticipant · CH
MATERIALS CENTER LEOBEN FORSCHUNG GMBHparticipant · AT
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET CHEMNITZparticipant · DE
INGETEAM POWER TECHNOLOGY SAparticipant · ES
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET ILMENAUparticipant · DE
UNIVERSIDAD DE OVIEDOparticipant · ES
POWERTEC SROparticipant · SK
UNIVERSITAET ROSTOCKparticipant · DE
INGETEAM RESEARCH INSTITUTE SOCIEDAD LIMITADAthirdparty · ES
HOCHSCHULE ZITTAU/GOERLITZparticipant · DE
AVL SOFTWARE AND FUNCTIONS GMBHparticipant · DE
IWO PROJECT BVparticipant · NL
UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRIDparticipant · ES
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFTparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITAET PADERBORNparticipant · DE
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET DRESDENparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

Infineon Technologies Dresden AG & Co. KG (Germany) — contact through SciTransfer for introduction to the right technical lead.

Order a report on this consortium See INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES DRESDEN AG & Co. KG profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how Power2Power's silicon power electronics can fit your product roadmap? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner for your application — automotive, railway, grid, or industrial.

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