Infineon and VSPE build 22kW single-stage EV onboard charger on GaN switches

Infineon Technologies and Visteon-Shinry Power Electronics (VSPE) have developed a single-stage onboard charger rated at 22kW for three-phase AC charging and 19.2kW for single-phase AC. The partnership pairs Infineon's monolithic gallium nitride (GaN) bidirectional power switches with VSPE's circuit design, control software and systems engineering.

The companies claim the single-stage architecture consolidates power-conversion functions that conventional two-stage systems handle separately. It eliminates the bulk capacitors those systems require. That, in theory, cuts component counts, packaging size, system complexity and manufacturing cost.

What do the switches change?

Infineon's monolithic GaN bidirectional switches combine bidirectional voltage blocking and current conduction in a single component, according to the announcement. This reduces the semiconductor count in the charger. Their high-frequency switching characteristics allow smaller magnetic components and higher power density — the standard GaN value proposition, and one that Infineon and VSPE have yet to back with independent test data.

The charger also offers vehicle-to-everything bidirectional capability, enabling vehicle-to-grid power interaction. No vehicle-to-grid certification timeline, target markets or utility partnerships were disclosed.

Who are the partners?

VSPE is a joint venture between US-based Visteon and China's SHINRY Technologies. Visteon, headquartered in Michigan, operates in 17 countries and builds mobility software, digital cockpits, displays and EV architecture systems. SHINRY, founded in Shenzhen in 2005, produces onboard power products — DC/DC converters and onboard chargers — for new energy vehicles, fuel cell EVs and digital energy systems. SHINRY runs research and production sites in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hefei and Wuhan.

What did executives say?

Infineon GaN Automotive vice president Benoit Rousseau said: "Together with VSPE we are pushing the boundaries of onboard charging for the next generation of EVs. Our GaN bidirectional switch, recognised as a 'Global New Energy Vehicle Innovative Technology' at the 2026 World New Energy Vehicle Congress, combines leading-edge switching performance and efficiency with a new level of semiconductor integration, enabling new power conversion architectures."

VSPE co-general manager Zilai Zhao said: "This collaboration brings together complementary strengths in vehicle electronics, power conversion and advanced semiconductors. By combining Visteon's system expertise and Infineon's GaN leadership, we're delivering a transformative solution for next-generation EV platforms."

Note what the statements do not contain. Neither executive named a launch customer, a start of production, a plant or a volume target. "Transformative" is a claim, not a milestone.

What is missing from the announcement?

The release specifies no production site, no supplier tier placement, no program timing and no OEM nominations. For a Tier 1–Tier 2 pairing in onboard charging, those omissions matter. The efficiency figures versus incumbent silicon-based two-stage chargers also remain unpublished. Cost-reduction claims rest on the removed bulk capacitors alone, with no bill-of-materials breakdown offered.

The Infineon-Qualcomm agreement earlier this month — a microcontroller-based subsystem for Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride automotive compute platforms — shows Infineon stacking automotive partnerships across power and compute. The VSPE project extends that pattern into charging hardware.

What to watch next

Watch for a named OEM platform adoption, a production site confirmation from VSPE's Chinese plants or Visteon's network, and measured efficiency data against two-stage chargers. Vehicle-to-grid regulatory approval in target markets will decide whether the bidirectional capability ships as more than a spec-sheet line.