Electric vehicle (EV) design at the system level is a rapidly evolving landscape encompassing components, hardware modules, and software platforms. So, on the first day of Automotive Tech Forum 2026, which was dedicated to EV designs, a panel titled “Powering the Electric Vehicle: From Semiconductors to Systems” took a deep dive into the system-level intricacies of EV designs.
Carsten Himmele, marketing manager for automotive at Allegro MicroSystems, highlighted the growing presence of silicon carbide (SiC) in traction inverters due to its ability to deliver higher bandwidth and efficiency. However, while talking about motor control for EV traction, he also mentioned challenges in operating in harsher electrical environments.
“SiC brings in higher bandwidth for motor control, but it also makes the electrical environment somewhat harsher,” he said. Himmele added that advanced phase-current sensing and inductive rotor-position sensing are essential for overcoming these challenges. “Moreover, system-grade building blocks reduce the number of external components and improve design efficiency,” he concluded.
That’s where gallium nitride (GaN) offers key advantages, said Alex Lidow, CEO and co-founder of Efficient Power Conversion (EPC). “GaN is smaller, more efficient, and more rugged compared to silicon and SiC,” he said. “It’s particularly effective in 48-V systems, which complement the emerging 800-V architectures.”
Lidow added that while EVs with 48-V systems are now leading the way, GaN devices are 5 to 7 times more efficient than their MOSFET ancestors. “GaN is powering onboard chargers, DC/DC converters, battery cooling pumps, steering systems, and infotainment.”
Rohan Samsi, VP of GaN Business Division at Renesas, also talked about the paradigm shift GaN brings to power converters, enabling simplified single-stage designs. “The bidirectional switch allows you to take out something that was a multi-stage converter and replace it with a single stage.” To achive integration synergy, Samsi emphasized that GaN’s strengths in current sensing, temperature sensing, and gate drive enable holistic EV solutions.
Finally, Kerry Grand, marketing manager for Simulink Automotive at MathWorks, turned the discussion toward the software aspects of design. He was asked to inform the panel on the latest developments in EV traction from a system-integration standpoint. And what does hardware testing uncover about the present and future of EV drivetrain?
Grand began with an insight into EV system-level design through simulation and model-based design. Then he identified enduring challenges in EV system design, including high-voltage isolation, battery life optimization, and thermal management. “Simulating detailed thermal systems offers automotive OEMs the ability to trade off temperature limits without compromising system performance.”
At a time when EV design building blocks like traction inverters and battery management systems (BMS) are continually adding functionality, system-level challenges are a critical area to watch. The panel discussion in Automotive Tech Forum 2026 provides a glimpse of design challenges and viable solutions in this design realm.
You can watch this session along with all sessions from the Automotive Tech Forum 2026 virtual event on demand at www.automotiveforum.eetimes.com.
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