Japan companies eye mass production of gallium nitride parts for EVs

TOKYO — Japanese companies are moving to mass-produce gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor devices for electric vehicles, which will give them greater driving range, but high costs remain an obstacle.

Electric semiconductor devices are used to control the flow of electricity in EVs and other products. They are said to be a new generation with less energy loss and more efficient than conventional silicon counterparts. GaN competes with silicon carbide (SiC) for applications in EV power semiconductor devices.