UNT, Li Auto hold wafer rollout ceremony as new SiC products enter mass production

Beijing (Gasgoo)-Chinese semiconductor company United Nova Technology (UNT) and Li Auto recently held a joint exchange meeting and BAREDIE wafer rollout ceremony, marking a major milestone in their deepening collaboration on silicon carbide (SiC) products, according to a press release UNT issued via its WeChat account on October 13.

Since signing a strategic cooperation framework agreement in March 2024, the two companies have carried out comprehensive and in-depth collaboration in SiC technology. After more than a year of close partnership, the SiC products—developed and designed by Li Auto and manufactured in volume by UNT—have now officially entered mass production and delivery.

Photo credit: UNT

As a one-stop semiconductor foundry in China, UNT has built strong technical expertise in automotive-grade SiC technology. Meanwhile, Li Auto has in recent years accelerated its investment in the battery electric vehicle (BEV) segment.

The mass production and delivery of these SiC products mark a new stage of strategic synergy between the two companies and represent a critical step in Li Auto's BEV strategy. The products will be installed in the upcoming Li Auto i-series models.

The new SiC components demonstrate exceptional overall performance, with significant advantages over mainstream market products in areas such as on-resistance and junction temperature tolerance. These enhancements contribute to improved charging efficiency and extended driving range, according to UNT.

Li Auto's Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management Meng Qingpeng said, "UNT's technology platform fully meets the stringent reliability and performance requirements of Li Auto's BEV models. This mass production milestone not only affirms the strength of our collaboration but also provides vital support for Li Auto's dual-energy strategy.”

UNT Chairman and General Manager Zhao Qi added, "Together, we have built a cooperative model driven by user needs and targeted technological development. This partnership has enabled both R&D teams to jointly overcome key technical bottlenecks—such as high-temperature KGD testing—and establish a full-chain process from requirement definition to mass production, significantly enhancing R&D efficiency."