When receiving Feng Xingya, Chairman of Guangzhou Automobile Group, a few days ago, Dong Mingzhu, Chairman of Gree Electric Appliances, joked that half of GAC's automotive chips would be replaced by Gree products in the future. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a compound semiconductor material with advantages in high voltage resistance, high frequency resistance, and high temperature resistance. In 2019, Gree began to introduce SiC devices from American companies to air conditioning cabinets to improve energy efficiency. Feng Yin said that there is still much room for improvement in energy efficiency in China's home appliance industry. The latest APF energy efficiency ratio requirements for air conditioners in China have been raised, but there is still a gap compared to the highest energy efficiency ratio of air conditioners in Japan. If all refrigerators in China adopt the new energy efficiency rating that will be implemented in June 2026, about 13 billion kWh of electricity can be saved. To help save energy, Gree makes its own chips.

Gree Electric Appliances established an IPM power module production line in 2010 and set up Gree Zero Boundary Company for chip design in 2018. In 2023, Gree Electric Appliances established an electronic components company, primarily engaged in the design, tape-out, module packaging, and testing of silicon carbide chips. The silicon carbide chip factory of Gree began piling in December 2022 and started production at the end of 2023. The first phase of the project plans to produce 240,000 6-inch silicon carbide wafers annually. By 2025, the sales volume of chips from Gree Electric Appliances had accumulated to over 300 million pieces. Today, Gree's silicon carbide chips have been installed and shipped in over 2 million air conditioners, achieving temperature reduction and energy efficiency improvement. The silicon carbide devices used by Gree in photovoltaic and energy storage products can also help reduce temperature and improve energy efficiency, and will be mass produced in 2026. In addition, the silicon carbide devices used by Gree in central air conditioning chillers and logistics vehicles can also improve energy efficiency, and will also be mass produced in 2026. According to Feng Yin, Gree's silicon carbide factory has built 6-inch and 8-inch compatible machines, equipped with fully automated crane systems, and can provide testing services that meet automotive-grade requirements. At the same time, Gree's silicon carbide chip factory provides external foundry tape-out services. It is reported that Gree established Zhuhai Zero Boundary Integrated Circuit Co., Ltd. in 2018, mainly responsible for the research, development, and sales of MCU chips, smart home chips, and power device products; and Zhuhai Gree Electronic Components Co., Ltd. was established in 2022, mainly responsible for the manufacturing of third-generation semiconductor silicon carbide wafers, power device packaging and testing, semiconductor testing services, and other businesses. In August 2025, Gree Electric Appliances stated on its interactive platform that the company has been involved in the chip field since 2015, with the establishment of the Microelectronics Institute and the Power Semiconductor Institute under the Communication Technology Research Institute. Currently, the company's chip team has nearly 1,000 members, with technical personnel accounting for over 60%. The silicon carbide chip factory of Gree adopts the core business strategy of "autonomous controllability and open foundry", and has built a leading silicon carbide wafer production line in China. Currently, its external cooperative customers cover over 20 chip design companies, with the business model mainly focusing on wafer foundry, while also providing packaging and testing services. Independent and controllable chip manufacturing is a crucial aspect for the company to ensure product quality. We have established a comprehensive quality control system that spans from chip design and manufacturing, testing, to delivery. By enhancing chip efficiency, we improve the energy efficiency of our products. For instance, we offer consumers higher-quality and energy-saving air conditioning products equipped with our self-developed chips. Currently, the internal application of our self-developed chips has seen a steady increase. Gree's silicon carbide power chips, characterized by their high voltage resistance, high temperature tolerance, and high efficiency, have expanded their customer base from the home appliance sector to areas such as electric vehicles, photovoltaic energy storage, and industrial control. Presently, our electronic components company has obtained the IATF16949 automotive-grade quality system certification and implemented a fully automated overhead crane handling system, ensuring high consistency and reliability for automotive-grade products. Our main products, 650V and 1200V silicon carbide Schottky diodes, have all passed the AECQ101 automotive-grade reliability certification, meeting the basic requirements for automotive applications. Additionally, some products from our silicon carbide MOSFET process platform for 650V/1200V have also obtained automotive-grade reliability certification.