Vishay’s new 200 V FRED Pt automotive-grade rectifiers deliver up to 15 A in new 0.88 mm DFN package

Vishay Intertechnology has introduced 16 FRED Pt ultrafast rectifiers in a new DFN6546A package, covering 200 V ratings and continuous current from 6 A to 15 A in single configurations and 2×3 A to 2×7.5 A in dual configurations. All 16 are available in both commercial and AEC-Q101 automotive-grade versions.

The DFN6546A measures 6.5×4.6 mm with a typical profile of 0.88 mm. Compared to Vishay’s SMPC (TO-277A) package at the same footprint, the new package cuts height by 10% and supports 50% higher current ratings. Wettable flanks allow automated optical inspection (AOI), eliminating the need for X-ray inspection.

Key electrical specs are uniform across the family: 0.75 V forward voltage drop at rated current, operating range of −55 to +175 °C and 175 °C maximum junction temperature. Fast reverse recovery time (trr) and low reverse recovery charge (Qrr) are the defining characteristics of the FRED Pt line—the parameters that determine switching losses in inverter and converter applications.

Vishay targets the parts at 48 V boardnets, onboard chargers and battery management systems in EVs and HEVs, along with ECUs, ADAS, lidar and camera systems. General-purpose targets include high-frequency inverters, DC/DC converters, freewheeling diodes, load dump protection and snubbers.

Devices are MSL 1 per J-STD-020, rated to a 260 °C LF peak, RoHS-compliant and halogen-free, with matte tin leads passing JESD 201 class 2 whisker testing. Samples and production quantities are available now with 8-week lead times.

Source: Vishay Intertechnology

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Norwegian ferry operator orders 20 Candela electric hydrofoil vessels

Norwegian ferry operator Boreal has ordered twenty P-12 electric hydrofoil vessels from Sweden’s Candela Technology. The new vessels will speed up commuting along Norway’s fjord-lined coast, where water travel is an essential part of daily transport.

Norway has many electric ferries in operation, but electrifying hurtigbåtar, the high-speed passenger vessels that ply many rural routes, has been challenging, as conventional e-ferries lack the range and speed to replace the diesel-powered fast ferries connecting communities along the country’s 100,000 kilometers of coastline. The Candela P-12 combines a cruising speed of 25 knots with a range of around 40 nautical miles, making electric operation practical on routes previously only served by diesel vessels.

The P-12 features computer-controlled hydrofoils—wings mounted beneath the hull—that lift the vessel above the water at speeds above 18 knots. Flying above the waves reduces drag, and energy consumption drops by around 80 percent compared with conventional vessels of similar size. The P-12 is already in successful use in Stockholm’s public transport system.

“The Candela P-12 is the only electric passenger vessel that combines longer range with high speed without requiring extensive charging infrastructure. Our investment will enable new high-speed routes both in cities and in rural areas,” says Nikolai Knudsmoen Utheim, CEO at Boreal.

The P-12 can fully recharge in an hour using standard DC fast chargers, avoiding the expensive megawatt-scale charging systems required by larger electric ferries.

“Tourists and commuters in Norway will enjoy better service and more frequent departures—free from seasickness, silent, and without the negative impacts of wake and emissions in the unique Norwegian fjords,” says Alexander Sifvert, Candela’s European Director.

Source: Candela

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AITO joins BMW and Mercedes-Benz as equal partner in China’s IONCHI charging network

IONCHI, the premium high-power charging joint venture established by BMW and Mercedes-Benz in China in 2024, has announced that SERES Group will join as an equal shareholder. Through the investment, SERES’ premium brand AITO becomes part of the three-party network, giving BMW, Mercedes-Benz and SERES each a 33.3% stake. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

IONCHI operates public high-power charging stations at prime urban locations across China, powered by 100% renewable energy. The network offers premium services to all eligible EVs, with online reservation and priority power allocation reserved exclusively for customers of the three OEM brands.

AITO, SERES’ luxury EV line, has surpassed one million cumulative users and was the best-selling Chinese luxury car brand domestically in 2025. Adding SERES as an equal partner gives the network a third OEM driving geographic expansion, network density and service development alongside the two German brands.

Source: Seres Group

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Coke Canada Bottling adds 7 Volvo VNR Electric trucks in BC and Quebec

Coke Canada Bottling has added seven Volvo VNR Electric trucks across two provinces, bringing its total Canadian electric fleet to nearly 40 vehicles. Three trucks have arrived in Quebec City; four more are set for delivery this spring in Vancouver.

The VNR Electric runs a six-battery configuration covering up to 440 km (275 miles) on a single charge, enough for several daily round trips between distribution centers and customer locations. To support the expansion, the company installed one 180 kW Heliox Flex charger with three dispensers in Quebec City and two 180 kW Heliox Flex chargers with six dispensers in Vancouver.

The family-owned company launched its electric pilot in Montreal in 2023. Its fleet now spans vans, on-road trucks and yard tractors, all on local and regional distribution routes where predictable, high-frequency operations suit battery-electric technology. The new Volvo trucks serve Coke Canada’s Lower Mainland and Quebec City regions.

“Coke Canada Bottling has taken what they learned early on and turned it into a practical, multi-region deployment,” said Matthew Blackman, managing director, Canada, Volvo Trucks North America. “When you see electric trucks running predictable, high-frequency routes like these, it shows how well the technology fits into everyday fleet operations.”

Source: Volvo Trucks North America

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Flemish transport agency deploys its 1,000th electric bus

Transport agency De Lijn, which serves the Flanders region of Belgium, has commissioned its 1,000th electric bus, and is steadily ordering more. In 2025, De Lijn ordered more than 650 new e-buses, which will be deployed in phases in the coming years.

By 2035, the company plans to phase out diesel buses entirely. This will require a fleet of 3,800 e-buses, representing major investments not only in new vehicles, but also in charging infrastructure, energy supply, software, training and maintenance.

“The 1,000th electric bus is a clear signal that Flanders is moving forward towards sustainable and future-oriented public transport,” said Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder. “The Flemish Government provided a turbo investment of 400 million euros for the purchase of electric buses.”

De Lijn is investing heavily in software and employee training during this transformation. In 2025, some 1,400 drivers received specific e-bus training, and 176 technicians received training in electromechanics.

Electric buses require less mechanical maintenance than diesel buses, and lend themselves to a different, more data-driven approach, De Lijn has found. Maintenance is increasingly shifting towards prevention and monitoring, reducing the need for urgent repairs and increasing the reliability of service.

“The enormous behind-the-scenes transformation that many people are involved in is now fully visible on the road with modern, quiet and fuel-efficient vehicles,” said De Lijn Director-General Ann Schoub. “For the traveler, that means more comfortable transport today, and tomorrow completely emission-free public transport throughout Flanders, with a positive impact on air quality, noise and livability.”

Source: De Lijn

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Everrati brings its EV propulsion expertise to next-gen unmanned vehicles

Everrati Automotive is a UK-based conversion shop that repowers classic cars as EVs. Now the company is branching out into next-generation mobility platforms such as unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which also require advanced electric propulsion technologies.

“Electric propulsion is no longer just about cars,” said Rhodri Darch, Co-CEO of Everrati. “The technologies powering the EV revolution—from advanced motors to battery integration and software-defined capability—are becoming fundamental to unmanned and autonomous systems. UGVs are the natural first move for a company like ours: the technology transfer is close to a lift-and-shift, with a different set of operating requirements. UAVs follow, introducing additional constraints around weight and airspace, and demanding a more aerospace-focused engineering discipline.”

“Batteries are a key enabling technology. In UAVs and advanced mobility, everything comes back to energy density, weight and control,” said Dr Andy Palmer, founder of Palmer Automotive. “If you can package more usable energy into less mass, and manage it intelligently, you unlock range, payload and reliability in one move. That’s exactly where electrification expertise translates—we’ve spent the last decade learning how to make batteries not just powerful, but predictable, scalable and safe. Apply that to UAVs, and you move from niche capability to operational utility.”

Everrati focuses on developing advanced electric propulsion systems for integration into specialist platforms, rather than designing entire vehicles. Through its Powered by Everrati division, the company works with a specialist partner ecosystem that includes motor manufacturer Helix, manufacturing specialist DASIS, McLaren subsidiary Motion Applied and bespoke battery builder Raeon.

Tom Brooks, COO, Raeon: “The demand for battery-powered mobility is hitting a development barrier. Software can improve in weeks, but battery development is still taking years. Our FloLock and AnyVolt technologies allow us to deliver bespoke battery systems in as little as 12 weeks, ensuring partners across defense, marine, robotics and EV platforms remain resilient and scalable.”

Leighton King, Chief Commercial Officer, Helix: “High power density in a compact, lightweight package is an operational necessity in UAV and advanced mobility applications. Our motor and inverter development is grounded in environments where these demands are absolute—motorsport, aerospace, defense. Working with partners like Everrati, who lead propulsion architecture and integration at a system level, allows that specialist expertise to be deployed where it creates the most value.”

Source: Everrati Automotive

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An EV sales surge is building—but not because of oil prices

Whenever oil prices go up, the mainstream press responds with a spate of articles about EVs. However, it’s not at all clear whether this corresponds to any substantial increase in EV sales.

The link between oil prices and EV sales has always been tenuous—and temporary. As Viet Nguyen-Tien, Gavin D. J. Harper and Robert Elliott point out in a recent article in The Conversation, media interest in EVs was kindled during the 1973 oil embargo, only to disappear when oil prices returned to “normal” levels. The cycle has been repeated several times since.

However, the writers argue that this time may be different. The main reason that high oil prices don’t cause EV sales to spike has been the substantially higher purchase price of EVs, and that price differential is steadily dwindling.

Battery costs have fallen 93% since 2010, The Conversation reports. EV industry cognoscenti have long predicted that a pack-level battery price of $100 per kWh would be the tipping point for widespread adoption. Battery prices in the US are now very close to that price (and far cheaper in China).

Technological improvement is not the only driver of plummeting prices—economies of scale and network effects have also played important roles. More battery production leads to lower costs, which leads to more production, in a virtuous cycle.

“This loop does not need an oil crisis to keep spinning,” write Nguyen-Tien and colleagues. In most markets, EVs reached total cost of ownership parity with legacy vehicles some time ago. Now they are approaching purchase-price parity.

And there are several advances on the horizon that could soon make going electric an offer vehicle owners can’t refuse. Chinese EV-maker BYD says its latest Blade battery delivers a range of 450 miles, and can be charged in 10 minutes. The company is already selling its moderately-priced EVs in Europe, and will enter the Canadian market this year. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, which could turn car ownership from a money pit into a source of incremental income, is making the transition from pilots to commercial deployments.

However, the Conversation writers argue, “The deeper reason this wave will not fade is not technical—it is economic. An EV is a platform. Its value grows as the network around it grows. Every charger built makes the next EV more attractive. Every software update raises the value of every car already on the road. Every recycled battery feeds back into the supply chain that makes the next one cheaper.”

The EV transition is underway—it doesn’t need high gas prices, and it no longer needs government subsidies. (Just ask Harbinger Motors—sales of its electric trucks have steadily grown since federal subsidies expired in 2025.)

The electrification of transport is making vehicles cheaper, cleaner, quieter and more fun to drive. One thing it won’t do, alas, is eliminate geopolitical risk. Today, EV supply chains mostly run through China, and neither governments nor automakers are doing much to rectify that situation. In the three traditional centers of the global auto industry—the US, Europe and Japan—denial, delay and downright delusion remain the norm.

Buckle up.

Source: The Conversation

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