It has often been said that cars these days are computers on wheels. Under the hood, there are hundreds of electronic control units (ECUs), essentially the brains controlling everything from the breaks and headlights to the latest gadgets such as parking cameras and radar. 

None of those comforts and conveniences would be possible without semiconductors – the tiny chips that make modern-day electronics tick. 

“Ninety percent of the innovations in the automobile industry actually come from the electronics and the chips are the soul of the electronics,” said Robert Li, vice president and general manager, PL driver and energy systems, NXP Semiconductors, one of the world’s largest chip manufacturers.

Li said next-generation chips could help solve some of the most pressing issues facing the EV industry, such as range and charge time, by making batteries more efficient.