Nio has expanded its supply deal with onsemi to bring the chipmaker’s latest silicon carbide power technology into its new vehicle platform, a move that supports the automaker’s shift to a 900-volt architecture. The agreement will use onsemi’s EliteSiC M3e MOSFET technology and is set to debut on the upcoming ES9 flagship SUV and additional Nio models.
The expanded collaboration builds on a supplier relationship that began four years ago, when Nio chose onsemi’s VE-Trac Direct silicon carbide power modules for its next-generation electric powertrains. In 2022, Nio said onsemi won it over with the high performance and reliability of its products and the strong support of its engineering and management teams.
Onsemi says the third-generation M3e platform cuts conduction losses by 30% and turn-off losses by as much as 50% versus the prior generation. For Nio, the upgrade is aimed at making 900-volt the new standard across a broader lineup, with the ES9 acting as one of the first models to use the expanded partnership.
The timing matters because the ES9 begins customer deliveries on June 1. Nio says the SUV uses a full-domain 900-volt high-voltage architecture, a 102-kilowatt-hour ternary lithium-ion battery from CATL and a CLTC-rated range of up to 635 kilometers. Paired with Nio’s 600-kilowatt chargers, it can add 255 kilometers of range in five minutes, and buyers who choose Nio’s Battery as a Service program can opt to swap the battery instead of keeping it in the vehicle.
The new deal also follows Nio’s earlier 900-volt platform work. The Thunder Electric Drive System was first introduced in March 2024 with the ET9 sedan, and deliveries of that model began in March 2025. Nio said the ET9 uses 1200-volt silicon carbide power modules and delivers power density of 1,315 kilowatts per liter, underscoring how quickly the company has moved from one high-voltage architecture to the next.
Onsemi has been widening its electric-vehicle silicon carbide business beyond Nio as well. The company signed a separate long-term agreement with Zeekr in April 2023 covering 1200-volt EliteSiC M3e MOSFETs for premium EV powertrains. Three years ago, it also announced a 10-year, $1.9 billion supply deal with Vitesco Technologies, alongside a $250 million investment in its manufacturing capacity. It has since signed multi-year agreements with Volkswagen Group for its SSP platform and with Schaeffler.
The broader picture is straightforward: Nio is trying to make 900-volt its baseline, and onsemi is trying to stay embedded in that transition. If the ES9 lands with the performance Nio is promising, the new supply deal could shape more than one model’s launch date.
