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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has introduced three 650 V silicon carbide (SiC) metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) that use its third-generation SiC technology in surface-mount TOLL packages. These new devices, part numbers TW027U65C, TW048U65C, and TW083U65C, are designed for industrial power electronics with initial volume shipments beginning August 2025.

The company reports that these third-generation SiC MOSFETs are housed in general-purpose TOLL surface-mount packages, which reduce device volume by more than 80 percent compared to through-hole packages such as TO-247 and TO-247-4L(X). This enables increased equipment power density and supports automated manufacturing.

Toshiba says the TOLL package offers lower parasitic impedance—resistance and inductance—than through-hole packages, resulting in decreased switching losses. As a four-terminal package, TOLL allows for a Kelvin connection signal source, which minimizes the impact of source wire inductance on gate driving performance. This design leads to higher switching speeds; for example, the TW048U65C reportedly achieves approximately 55 percent lower turn-on loss and 25 percent lower turn-off loss compared to previous Toshiba 650 V SiC MOSFETs in a TO-247 package without Kelvin connection.

The new MOSFET lineup features optimized drift and channel resistance ratios for improved temperature dependence of drain-source on-resistance. Additional technical specifications include low drain-source on-resistance times gate-drain charge and a typical diode forward voltage (V_DSF) of -1.35 V at V_GS = -5 V.

While suitable for various industrial power electronics, Toshiba identifies EV charging stations and photovoltaic inverters as specific target applications. The devices are also intended for switched-mode power supplies in data centers, servers, communications equipment, and uninterruptible power supplies.

Source: Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation

Kempower, a Finnish manufacturer of DC fast charging systems, has approved Formula Space’s CableGuard anti-theft solution for use with its EV charging stations after conducting eight weeks of in-house testing. According to Kempower, it is the first to validate a third-party solution that uses DNA traceability to deter cable theft.

CableGuard includes a cut-resistant sleeve that does not require steel reinforcement, aiming to minimize impact on end-user experience and charger operation. A core feature is its forensic traceability: if a protected cable is tampered with, the system releases a transparent, high-pressure fluid embedding a unique DNA code specific to the charging site. The coding, visible only under ultraviolet light, is linked to a police-accessible database, allowing for site-specific identification of offenders—an approach Formula Space says is unique within the industry.

Kempower says that supported cable configurations include CCS2 cables up to 300 A and five-meter length, and CHAdeMO cables up to five-meter length. The approval covers applications in the UK, Ireland and continental Europe. CableGuard must be applied by Kempower Certified Service Partners in line with its application guidance.

Source: Kempower

Australian mining firm International Graphite has partnered with Arctic Graphite, a subsidiary of Norwegian construction giant Leonhard Nilsen & Sonner (LNS), and Graphite Investment Partners (GIP) to establish a new expandable graphite production facility in Germany.

The new plant is scheduled to start operations in 2027, and is expected to produce around 3,000 tons annually. Expandable graphite is used as a flame retardant in construction materials and insulation in electronics, as well as in batteries and green steel electrodes.

GIP has committed to arranging funding for at least 50% of the estimated €5-million ($5.86-million) capital cost of the facility, and has issued a non-binding letter of interest to arrange up to $10 million in total funding.

International Graphite and Arctic Graphite plan to form a 50/50 joint venture to finance, build and operate the plant.

The plant will be International Graphite’s second processing facility. The company has been piloting downstream graphite processing in Australia for the past six years and is currently building a commercial graphite micronizing plant in Collie, Western Australia.

The company aims to establish an international network of processing facilities that will produce a range of graphite products, from micronized and expandable to advanced battery anode material, using natural graphite from a mine at the company’s Springdale graphite resource, which is also in Western Australia.

“Graphite is subject to supply disruption more than any other commodity. The demand fundamentals for expandable graphite are compelling. There is little or no production of this product in the EU, which accounts for approximately 30 per cent of global consumption outside of China,” said Aidan Nania, Principal at Graphite Investment Partners.

Source: International Graphite

Achieving widespread electrification of transportation hinges on improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing battery production costs. In response to industry needs and direct customer feedback, H.B. Fuller has developed a novel UV-curable Thermal Dielectric Coating that enhances both performance and cost-effectiveness in electric battery manufacturing. This next-generation coating delivers superior electrical insulation, excellent flame retardancy, improved abrasion resistance to minimize material waste, and enables rapid application to boost production throughput.

Join this webinar at our September Virtual Conference on EV Engineering, presented by H.B. Fuller, where we will highlight the key innovations behind the coating’s performance. These include fast and energy-efficient UV curing; application techniques that lower total cost of ownership by reducing equipment demands, processing time, and defect rates; and proven ability to maintain uniform insulation across complex geometries and large substrates.

September 16, 2025, 10:15 am EDT
Register now—it’s free!

See the complete session list for the Virtual Conference on EV Engineering here.

Broadcast live from September 15 to 18, 2025, the conference content will encompass the entire EV engineering supply chain and ecosystem, including motor and power electronics design and manufacturing, cell development, battery systems, testing, powertrains, thermal management, circuit protection, wire and cable, EMI/EMC and more.

Eaton has announced that its Mobility Group will supply its High-Power Lock Box (HPLB) SQ8 connector system to a major global OEM for a new PHEV platform. This agreement is the first application of the SQ8 variant in a PHEV.

The SQ8 configuration of the HPLB connector features a patented, inverted terminal contact design that combines a stainless-steel spring to maintain consistent contact force—especially after repeated thermal cycling—with a copper current carrier to maximize conductivity. Eaton says this design addresses common failure modes like mechanical relaxation found in high-vibration electric vehicle environments.

The HPLB SQ8 terminal has been internally tested and benchmarked against publicly available competitor data, reportedly delivering a 25 to 35 percent improvement in current-carrying capability for a given wire size, and 30 to 60 percent higher current per unit volume, which can support lighter and more efficient vehicle platforms.

The HPLB SQ8 connector is designed for demanding applications such as battery disconnect units (BDUs), high-voltage heaters and propulsion systems in EVs, PHEVs and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. The system supports up to 270 amps of current with minimal resistance loss and operates at temperatures up to 125 degrees Celsius. It offers a tool-free push-click-pull mating process that requires only 70 newtons of force, intended to reduce operator fatigue and eliminate the need for mechanical levers.

Technical highlights include a two-piece terminal compatible with 25 to 70 mm² wire gauges, flexible 90-degree and 180-degree terminal orientations for demanding packaging constraints, eight spring-loaded contact points, and compliance with USCAR-2 T3/V2/S3 and ISO standards. The connector is finger-proof, validated for up to 10 mating cycles, and features QR code-enabled part traceability for logistics and quality control.

Eaton notes that its HPLB family of connectors, including the previously released SQ4 variant, has already been deployed in commercial truck platforms, select electric vehicle applications, and high-current heating systems.

Source: Eaton

Elon Musk’s tech & AI-based electric automaker is expanding its Robotaxi service area at a fast pace. The latest update to the Tesla Robotaxi app, the map of the service area in Austin, Texas, has been updated once again.

The new map is exponentially larger compared to the original map or even the oddly shaped previous one.

The Robotaxi section of the Tesla mobile app has been updated several times since the service launched in Austin, Texas, in June. Every new update has an expanded map of the Robotaxi service area. The latest update also shows significant expansion.

Tesla influencer, Sawyer Merritt, shared the following image, which depicts the size comparison between the first Robotaxi geofence area map and the latest one released in the last week of August 2025.

Above: Tesla Robotaxi service geofence area expansion comparison from June to August 2025 (850% or 9.5X increase).

From 22nd June to 26th August, Tesla has expanded its Robotaxi service area in Austin, Texas, from ~18 to 173 square miles. This is an exponential growth of more than 850% since launch.

According to Tesla’s official Robotaxi account on X (formerly Twitter), the service area has expanded from 91 to 173 square miles since the last update. This is more than 90% growth in a single update.

Tesla Robotaxi service is a grower, not a shower, states the automaker on X. This is a slight critique of other Robotaxi service providers like Waymo that are expanding very slowly.

Just recently, Tesla acquired the license to operate its Robotaxi service in the entire state of Texas. This gives the automaker a free hand to expand the service across the state, and is a factor in the current expansion.

Tesla has also launched the Robotaxi service in the SF Bay Area in California, but it’s not expanding rapidly. Stringent regulations and requirements are the main hurdle.

However, Tesla is working on expanding the Robotaxi service to other states and cities, as we reported earlier this month.

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Note: This article was published earlier on Tesla Oracle. Author: Iqtidar Ali.