Allegro is Driving the Future with Reliable eMobility Solutions
Techmezine speaks with Andreas P. Friedrich, Managing Director Automotive, Allegro MicroSystems on Allegro’s Battery Management Solutions and latest innovation for EV.
Techmezine: Kindly share about Allegro MicroSystems market journey?
With more than 30 years of experience developing advanced semiconductor technology, Allegro MicroSystems is a global leader in power and sensing solutions for motion control and energy-efficient systems. Through our innovations in e-Mobility, Clean Energy, and Automation, we are helping move the world toward a safer, more sustainable future. Each year we ship over a billion units into these applications to support our 10,000+ customers around the globe, including over 50 automotive OEMs.
Techmezine: What is your say on the growing EV market In India?
When most people think of electric vehicles they think of electric cars. Worldwide the electric car market has exploded over the last few years with more than 10 million battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles sold in 2022 representing about 55% growth from 2021. Sales of electric vehicles represented about 10% of the total light vehicles sold worldwide, but only about 2% of the total vehicles sold in India. The Indian government’s increased focus on carbon neutral initiatives is expected to drive the growth of electric vehicles in India over the next decade. Unlike the rest of the world, EV growth in India will be driven by the two-wheeler market. We currently supply a lot of sensors and power ICs to the traditional two-wheeler market driven by the BS IV (4) and VI (6) standards and resulting in an increased amount of electronics. Our products are used in several applications, including the fuel pump, throttle control, angle and position sensor, side stand sensor, LED lights etc.The transition into electric 2-wheelers represents a significant growth opportunity leveraging our success in the EV powertrain applications in the 4-wheeler segment. The same principles and products apply to the 2-wheeler and 3-wheeler markets – we are well positioned to support our customers with best-in-class products for the electrification of all vehicles, whether 2, 3 or 4 wheels.
Techmezine: Tell us about Allegro MicroSystems Fast Charging EV Technology?
Allegro MicroSystems has been supplying products to EV charging infrastructure customers worldwide for many years now. The principles of charging, storage, and management of energy in batteries in an electric vehicle apply to the charging infrastructure market as well. Allegro current sensors play a critical role in the protection of EV chargers from over current conditions as well as reduce power loss due to low impedance magnetic current sensing technology. EV charger manufacturers need high bandwidth (1 MHz or greater) current sensors that enable fast switching DC/DC power conversion. Combined with our new high voltage isolated gate drivers with Power-thru technology which improves power conversion efficiency and save system space because of high levels of integration, customers have a perfect supplier in Allegro for sensors and power ICs needed for their EV charging equipment.
Techmezine: Tell us about Allegro MicroSystems Battery Management Solutions?
Today’s battery management systems (BMS) need reliable and fast monitoring of a battery’s current during charging and vehicle operation. Designed with safety in mind, Allegro’s market-leading current sensors offer high bandwidth and fast response time to give customers quick over current detection to disconnect the battery contactors and short circuit detection to engage the pyro fuse. The current flow monitoring and management in BMS systems is a critical function to extend the driving range per charge and extend the operational life of the battery itself. Allegro’s world class current sensors are used in many BMS systems for light vehicles today and will be directly applicable to similar BMS products designed for the 2-wheeler and 3-wheeler markets in India in the future.
Techmezine: Tell us about Your REVOLUTION in Safety and Autonomous Driving?
With increasing levels of electronic content in vehicles, safety requirements in the Automotive market have become common place. Most if not all products used in xEV powertrain and Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including steering and braking,must meet stringent safety requirements based on automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) standards. Critical systems require the highest ASIL rating of “ASIL-D,” which requires redundant systems to provide back up support in the case of failure of the main system. Allegro Microsystems is the industry leader in integrating two of the same sensors (homogeneous) or two different sensors (heterogeneous) within a single package allowing for space savings while providing redundant sensing capabilities to our customers. We have many ASIL-D rated products in our portfolio today to support our customers growing safety requirements. We further support the customers with full safety analysis documentation so the customers can get their end products certified as needed.
Techmezine: Tell us about your latest innovation for EV?
Allegro has recently released the Industry’s first ASIL-C safety rated high bandwidth coreless current sensor which bring very high levels of safety diagnostics to battery management and traction inverter equipment for electric vehicles. This device combines best in class accuracy and high bandwidth with safety features that will help designers meet the stringent safety requirements of high voltage equipment used in electric vehicles. Coreless current sensors are becoming popular in EV design due to their lower thermal characteristics and elimination of magnetic hysteresis with the removal of the core. Designers of EV powertrain equipment will find these new current sensors of significant value in their designs that can be scaled for use with 2-wheeler or any class of light or heavy automobiles.
Techmezine: Can you please share your growth rate and future insights?
In fiscal year 2023, Allegro MicroSystems delivered record revenue of $974 million, up 27% year-over-year, driven by our alignment with secular growth trends including the electrification of vehicles (xEV), advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and industrial automation which our sensor and power IC products are well suited to support. Allegro is focused on leveraging our technology leadership to deliver innovation with purpose. Our market-leading solutions offer unique value to our customers and help solve their toughest design challenges while driving technology and the world toward a safer, more sustainable future.
Over the years, our global team of innovators have nurtured broad and deep customer relationships that give us the application know-how to continue to innovate our product roadmap and provide unmatched value to our customers. This is key to why we’re winning in rapidly growing emerging markets within automotive and industrial, like vehicle electrification, ADAS, data center cooling and clean energy.