According to Bosch’s executives, silicon carbide chips are in massive demand by the EV manufacturers as it helps improve the driving range and makes the car run faster
The Germany based international engineering and technology firm Bosch is now looking forward to make semiconductor manufacturing in the US strong and competitive by producing silicon carbide chipsets, which is an essential item to make electric vehicles run longer on the roads. Therefore, the company has proclaimed that it has acquired the Roseville-California based chip manufacturer, TSI semiconductors.
With an investment of $1.5 billion, the company in April 2023 has already stated that some important assets of the chip manufacturing unit will be purchased so that the site can be improved to produce silicon carbide chips. As per media reports, by the end of 2026, the new manufacturing unit dubbed Robert Bosch Semiconductor LLC will start producing these chips.
In fact, top officials from Bosch has told the media that they are looking for sufficient incentives and subsidies from the US government so that the full expansion can be done seamlessly. In fact, it was reported on Wednesday that the California government has granted a $25 million tax credit for the new manufacturing unit. In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Bosch’s CEO Stefan Hartung said, "the expanding the facility to the intended full size depends on the support of the U.S. government, or the regional government or the California government. And it is already supported by some, but obviously it needs more support."
When the media approached for details, both Bosch and TSI did not reveal the actual purchase price. In a press briefing, Paul Thomas, incoming president of Americas for Bosch Mobility said, "By extending our semiconductor operations, we are strengthening our local presence in an important market for high efficiency electronic solutions."
In the past two years, Bosch, being a global leader in automotive manufacturing, also faced various challenges by Asia’s chipset manufacturing slump because of the coronavirus pandemic. The productions have started improving, but it is yet to get back to normalcy, feels Bosch. According to Bosch’s executives, silicon carbide chips are in massive demand by the EV manufacturers as it helps improve the driving range and makes the car run faster.
