ECARX joins forces with SiEngine and FAW for digital cockpit plattform
Chinese companies are not only catching up as OEMs in the field of e-vehicles; tier-one suppliers are also increasingly developing activities beyond China. This is also the case for the technology provider ECARX: Together with its associated company SiEngine and its cooperation partner FAW, the company wants to develop a digital cockpit platform. which will enter series production as early as the end of the year.
Based on the 7nm SoC SE1000 from SiEngine, the vehicle manufacturer FAW and ECARX plan to collaborate to develop the next digital cockpit to be used in future FAW models. The platform is the first hardware module developed by ECARX itself. It will be combined with the global vehicle operating system and the cockpit software stack for the FAW. With this, ECARX wants to enable car manufacturers to bring a market-leading smart cockpit solution to the market.
The 8.8 billion transistor SoC SE1000 uses a 7nm AI processor specifically designed for use in digital cockpits to meet the demanding performance, reliability and safety requirements of automotive hardware.
- STMicroelectronics, FAW establish joint R&D lab in China
- TTTech Auto expands in China with AD software platform
- AMD, ECARX collaborate on in-vehicle computing
The SE1000 uses the multi-core heterogeneous architecture and high-performance computing cluster with 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU and independent NPU with 8-TOPS AI computing power, which supports the development of intelligent driving functions and provides a powerful foundation for the digital cockpit computing platform. At the same time, its audio and video processing supports up to seven high-definition screen outputs and 12 video signal inputs. It is the first in the industry to be equipped with two HiFi 5 DSP processors. The SE1000 also features built-in independent functional security islands and cybersecurity islands. Different processor clusters independently serve different functional areas and integrate system security functions at ASIL-B level, significantly improving real-time, security and privacy of the system.
Although only founded in 2017, the NASDAQ-listed Chinese technology company ECARX is no newcomer to the automotive industry. According to the company, its chips are already installed in 3.7 million vehicles, including those of Volvo’s parent company Geely as well as in international brands such as Lotus and Smart. By exploiting the synergies between the operating system for the vehicle developed by ECARX itself and the comprehensive security solution, the manufacturer wants to be able to fully exploit the computing power of the SoC SE1000. The platform is the first in the digital cockpit space to use LPDDR5 high-speed memory modules, which significantly increases processing speed.
Development goal: A vertically-integrated comprehensive computing system
Ziyu Shen, Chairman and CEO of ECARX and Chairman of SiEngine, said, “By combining ECARX hardware and software into a single computing platform, our new product maximises performance and enables international brands to develop differentiated and personalised digital cockpit solutions. Chips and software are the cornerstones of the intelligent transformation of the automobile.”
ECARX regards the collaboration with FAW and SiEngine as another strategic milestone following ECARX’s listing on Nasdaq in December 2022. The planned cockpit platform is the next step in ECARX’s efforts to deliver a vertically integrated, complete computing system that will reshape the future of smart mobility. It is expected that two FAW Hongqi models equipped with the digital cockpit computing platform will enter series production in the second half of 2023.
Related articles:
Global EV market booming – German OEMs limping behind
Foxconn opens new perspective for stumbling e-car start-up Byton
Toyota speeds fuel cell commercialization through JV in China
Volvo Cars takes full ownership of its driverless software subsidiary
Connected car firm opens Euro HQ in Sweden
If you enjoyed this article, you will like the following ones: don't miss them by subscribing to :
