This initiative, funded by the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), is designed to accelerate the commercialisation of early-stage technologies that support the transition to net-zero in the automotive sector. RAM Innovations Ltd is also part of the APC-backed project.
The VERDE demonstrator will feature high-frequency switching of up to 1MHz, enabling significant reductions in waste, weight, and power costs within the drive system. Central to this development is QPT’s unique pure sine wave output, which reduces noise, harshness, and vibration, thereby enhancing reliability and reducing power consumption.
The traction inverter market for electric vehicles (EVs) was valued at $17.93bn in 2023 and is projected to reach $73.08bn by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.90%, according to Precedence Research. As electric motors account for around half of the world’s electricity usage, QPT’s technology could potentially reduce their energy consumption by 10%, contributing to significant reductions in global CO2 emissions.
Rupert Baines, QPT’s CEO, explained: “Our system technology enables GaN to be used for high-power, high-performance applications, overcoming the thermal and EMI problems that have stopped GaN being used in automotive in the past. We are already talking with automotive companies who would like to partner with us to leapfrog the market that is currently focussed on SiC and realise GaN-based inverters. Reducing waste in the inverter and in the motor not only increases range (or reduces batteries for the same range), but it also simplifies the cooling system, further reducing weight. This is a major game changer for the EV industry.”
Peter Green, CEO of RAM Innovations Ltd, that provide innovative packing to keep dies cool, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating in this project that will have a huge impact in putting the UK into a leadership position in the development of EV technologies. This project will create a demonstrator to be shown at Cenex Expo at UTAC Millbrook, UK in September 2025, where the world’s EV companies will be able to see the technological leap forward that this Project has made possible. This APC investment will accelerate bringing the technology to market by at least two years!”
Ian Stacey, VP of Engineering and Operations at QPT and project leader, added: “VERDE is part of Innovate UK’s campaign to fund exciting British innovations so that Britain can be a major force in the new technologies that will be driving the global economy. As well as stimulating research and development, it will also provide around 70 UK manufacturing jobs by 2032 as the technology is turned into products. In the drive to net-zero, the demand for electric motors will escalate and these must be as efficient as possible to minimise electricity being wasted. EVs will play an increasingly important role in achieving Net Zero. This project unlocks GaN and is a major step forward in achieving it, replacing legacy silicon and SiC.”
