What Role Does Automotive Power Management IC Play in Boosting the Performance of EVs

25 Nov 2022

With the advent of electric vehicles (EVs), vehicle electrification is rising. This means that as internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are transitioning into EVs, they are being replaced by electronic components such as traction battery packs, DC-DC converters, electric motors, power inverters, and charging ports. 


Therefore, automotive power management integrated circuits (PMIC) have become increasingly crucial to manage all the voltage variations in these components. According to the BIS Research market experts, the automotive power management IC industry has experienced significant growth because of the growing electrification of autos in recent years.

What is Automotive Power Management IC? 

Solid-state devices, called PMICs, regulate the direction and flow of electricity in electronic devices. They can perform various tasks, including voltage scaling, power sequencing, power-source selection, DC-to-DC conversion, and battery charging.

A typical PMIC includes linear regulators like low-dropout regulators (LDO) and single or multiple switching DC-to-DC converters like buck or boost converters. The power transistor, a sizable transistor with an area of a few square millimeters configured as numerous banks of transistors, is another essential component of a PMIC.

Such integrated circuits are commonly utilized in portable media players and mobile phones because they offer a highly integrated low-power microprocessor platform. The various modules that make up an EV, such as display drivers, cameras, sensors, and battery chargers, have their own power supply requirements, and it is managed by DC-DC converters, controllers, and voltage regulators.

PMICs are in high demand across various industries, such as automobiles, medical instruments, consumer electronics, and the industrial sector. 

This article goes into further detail about the application of PMICs in the automobile industry, i.e., automotive power management IC. 

Automotive Power Management IC in Enabling Enhanced EV Performance 

As discussed previously, the growing electrification of EVs requires an efficient power management system to enhance the performance and safety of vehicles. A few of the applications of automotive PMICs are discussed below: 

1. ADAS and safety in electric vehicles: The next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles that will improve traffic flow and safety are being developed by automakers alongside a wide range of innovative mobility services. Integrating advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technology in automobiles can increase the number of electronic loads by introducing multiple displays and sensors. Because any power management unit defect could seriously jeopardize the physical safety of passengers or pedestrians, the supply source has added even greater significance to ADAS technology in EVs.

Therefore, ADAS need to rely on strong, dependable power supply units. For any IP to use the least amount of power, ADAS power management ICs need the appropriate clock and power configurations. This assists in controlling the thermal dissipation of silicon as well as the device's overall power consumption. 

This provides 96% thermal efficiency and great thermal performance. All these characteristics allow the infotainment system to work with various vehicle applications outside of ADAS, such as infotainment or sensor fusion. 

According to the BIS Research market experts, the growth in the automotive power management IC market is anticipated to be driven by technological advancements and increasing demand for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in EVs.

The global automotive power management IC market is expected to reach $10.18 billion by 2031 from $4.17 billion in 2021, at a CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period 2022-2031. 

Find more details on this report in this FREE sample. 

2. Battery management in electric vehicles: Consumer safety and getting the most out of their battery-operated gadgets depend heavily on battery management ICs, which are a part of PMIC used for battery-related monitoring and control functions such as battery charging, battery thermal management, converters, controllers, etc. Battery management solutions require accurate voltage, current, and temperature readings to accurately determine the charge state of batteries and battery packs.

Battery management ICs contribute to the safety of automobiles by monitoring cell temperatures while they are being used and charged and cutting power if temperature constraints are met. Among the many fields and applications, battery management ICs are crucial for electric vehicles as they increase battery performance, life, and safety. 

Monitoring and balancing ICs can be used to handle several applications. It is crucial to consider the nominal battery voltage when choosing ICs for isolation and safety features.

3. Telematics in electric vehicles: Since it is crucial to strike a balance between competing demands for product features, performance, and power efficiency, PMICs in EV telematics are crucial. 

For instance, a telematics device can be needed to maintain operational readiness for days or weeks after the ignition has been turned off, give predictable response times when running in low-power states, or fine-tune power utilization in response to vehicle-specific events.

The use of EV telematics makes it possible to access a wide range of services, including traffic updates, route finding, online reservations for charging stations, remote diagnostics, battery life, battery charging status, and notifications for the time until the next charge.

4. Body electronics and infotainment systems: PMICs supporting body electronics and infotainment systems must have high switching frequencies to reduce the size of the vehicle system. Furthermore, they must lessen electromagnetic interference (EMI), as EMI can seriously impede the performance of a vehicle's multiple subsystems. These PMICs are often installed on the primary vehicle battery.

Due to the connection architecture, these components should be able to withstand high input voltages (>36V) and continue to function reliably during load-dump events for the duration of the vehicle's manufacturing (even though separate circuitry generally manages this battery-related phenomenon). In addition to extremely specific load transient requirements, automotive PMICs must also adhere to heat requirements and limits (usually from half to full load within a microsecond).

5. Powertrain in electric vehicles: Powertrain integrated circuits (ICs), which are the core parts of conventional engine control units (ECUs) utilized in a vehicle's primary applications, perform voltage regulators, sensor interfaces, load or motor drivers, and other tasks (engine management systems, transmission control systems, alternator regulators, etc.).

For high-reliability automotive applications and energy storage systems, market participants offer automotive battery management ICs, supplying the most recent ASSP battery monitoring and protection chips.

The electrification of the powertrain for next-generation hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and electric cars is consistent with this (EVs). These technologies offer more efficient engine control for automotive applications, such as powertrain and inverter applications for hybrid and electric vehicles.

Conclusion

The integration of automotive power management IC in electric vehicles is exponentially growing as it offers various functionalities and safety to vehicles. Interested to know more about the growing technologies in your industry vertical? Get the latest market studies and insights from BIS Research. Connect with us at  [email protected] to learn and understand more.

 
 

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