Three Global Automakers Have Now Collaborated with Ideal Power (IPWR)

The PRISM Emerging EV Index company, Ideal Power Inc. (IPWR) is a leader in the development and commercialization of the innovative B-TRAN™ bidirectional semiconductor power switch. Today the company announced its collaboration with a third global automaker. This automaker is working closely with Ideal Power engineers to explore the use of B-TRAN™-enabled contactors as potential replacements for electromechanical contactors in its electric vehicles (EVs).

“We are thrilled to announce this partnership with another global automaker to evaluate B-TRAN™ for a new EV application. Their initial focus is on EV contactors. Solid-state contactors in EVs represent an emerging market, and our technology is potentially transformative due to its extremely low conduction losses and inherent bidirectionality. This marks another significant engagement with a leading automaker, in addition to our existing collaborations with Stellantis and another Top 10 global automaker,” said Dan Brdar, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Power.

Contactors function as cutoff switches for high voltage applications in EVs, playing a crucial role in isolating the battery, inverter, and onboard charger to ensure safety when the vehicle is off or being serviced. Typically, there are 4 to 6 high-power contactors in every EV, and they are bidirectional. The high-power EV contactor market is projected to exceed $3.7Bn by 2025, and Ideal Power believes that solid-state contactors could eventually replace electromechanical contactors in a significant portion of this market. In EV applications, solid-state contactors are also expected to be more cost-effective than electromechanical contactors.