AI Capex Inherits EV Supply Chain for Analog and Power Semis, Driving 800V Rack Demand
Updated
Updated · citriniresearch.com · May 12
AI Capex Inherits EV Supply Chain for Analog and Power Semis, Driving 800V Rack Demand
1 articles · Updated · citriniresearch.com · May 12
Analog and power semiconductor names are emerging as a new AI infrastructure trade, with the memo arguing data-center buildouts are now absorbing supply chains originally built for EVs.
800V DC rack architecture helps explain the shift: Nvidia said in a May 2025 technical blog that the underlying technology came from the electric-vehicle and solar industries.
Capacitors, inductors, MLCCs and discrete power semiconductors stand out because AI racks need stable, efficient power delivery, while companies such as Texas Instruments and NXP are raising prices instead of adding capacity.
That restraint follows years of COVID-era oversupply, Chinese competition and weak EV and auto demand, leaving the sector underbuilt just as data-center revenue starts climbing.
The broader takeaway is that beating the next phase of the AI infrastructure trade requires looking beyond GPUs and memory to inherited industrial supply chains, materials bottlenecks and power systems.
As CPUs become the new AI bottleneck, is the industry's massive investment in GPUs misplaced for the coming 'Agentic Era'?
AI’s thirst for power is reviving old-school electronics. Are these forgotten component makers the next hidden investment boom?