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Porsche is bringing a new semiconductor technology into the cabin, using gallium nitride (GaN) to make its premium automotive audio systems more powerful, compact and energy efficient. The technology is set to reach series production in a future Porsche vehicle in 2027.
Developed together with the University of Stuttgart, the system will make its automotive debut in Porsche’s Burmester 3D High-End Surround Sound System. A GaN-based high-performance chip will handle the voltage conversion needed to power the system’s 400-watt subwoofer amplifier.
The advantage comes from GaN’s ability to operate at higher switching frequencies with lower losses than conventional silicon semiconductors. For automotive audio, that means less energy is wasted as heat, reducing cooling requirements while allowing electronic components to become smaller and lighter.
Porsche says the improved efficiency allows the amplifier’s heat sink to be approximately 20% lighter, while passive components can also be reduced in size. Using less aluminum in the amplifier additionally lowers the production-related CO₂ footprint of the system.
The project began in 2023, with Porsche’s audio, semiconductor and sustainability teams working with researchers at the University of Stuttgart from spring 2024 to develop the first GaN-based subwoofer amplifier prototype. Porsche has since filed several patent applications around innovations developed through the project.
More importantly, Porsche sees audio as only the beginning. The automaker is already evaluating GaN for other areas where efficient power conversion matters, including the high-voltage systems of electric sports cars, while further automotive-audio applications are also under consideration.
For the evolving digital cockpit, the development shows how the in-car entertainment experience is increasingly being shaped not only by software and streaming services, but also by advances in the underlying hardware needed to deliver higher-quality experiences efficiently.
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