As new energy vehicles (NEVs) accelerate toward intelligent and connected transformation, automotive-grade chips have become the core driving force behind this evolution. Acting as the vehicle’s “digital brain,” these chips manage everything from autonomous driving decisions and smart cockpit interaction to power management and vehicle system control. Their performance directly determines the level of vehicle intelligence and the safety and comfort of the driving experience.

Autonomous driving chips, the “heart” of vehicle intelligence, are undergoing a dual revolution in computing power and algorithm capabilities. As vehicles transition from Level 2 driver assistance to Level 3 and Level 4 conditional autonomy, the amount of environmental data that must be processed increases exponentially. For example, Tesla’s FSD chip offers 144 TOPS of computing power, processing data from eight cameras and twelve ultrasonic sensors simultaneously. NVIDIA’s Orin chip exceeds 254 TOPS, supporting real-time fusion of lidar, high-definition maps, and multi-source sensor data. These chips employ 7nm or even 5nm advanced processes, integrating CPU, GPU, and NPU modules through heterogeneous computing architectures, dramatically improving processing efficiency. In complex urban environments, high-performance chips can identify obstacles, plan paths, and execute decision-making within milliseconds, significantly reducing accident risks and providing solid support for the safe deployment of autonomous driving.

Smart cockpit chips are revolutionizing human-vehicle interaction. From single-screen displays to multi-screen collaboration, from voice activation to gesture control, these chips build an immersive, full-scene intelligent interaction ecosystem. For instance, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip, built on a 5nm process and delivering 30 TOPS, can drive ultra-large 4K curved displays and support multi-modal interaction. Users can control navigation or adjust the climate system through simple gestures, while AI voice assistants can accurately recognize regional dialects and perform cross-functional operations. Crucially, cockpit chips work in tandem with autonomous driving chips to enable a full “perception—decision—interaction” intelligence chain. When the driving system detects a potential hazard, the cockpit chip can alert the driver through seat vibrations, voice warnings, and other multi-dimensional signals, ensuring safety.

Power management chips, though often unseen, serve as the vehicle’s energy “steward.” They monitor battery voltage, current, and temperature in real time, dynamically distributing power to ensure stable operation of the battery, motor system, and onboard electronics. During fast charging, these chips intelligently adjust charging currents to prevent overheating and overcharging; during regenerative braking, they efficiently capture and store energy. With the rise of 800V high-voltage platforms, chips must meet higher standards for voltage tolerance and energy conversion efficiency. Next-generation chips utilizing silicon carbide (SiC) devices have achieved energy conversion efficiencies exceeding 95%.

Facing global chip shortages and technological restrictions, domestic chip manufacturers are accelerating breakthroughs. Huawei Ascend and Horizon Robotics’ autonomous driving chips are already mass-produced and installed in vehicles, while ChipDrive’s cockpit chips have broken foreign monopolies and are used in multiple domestic models. As China’s automotive-grade chip design, manufacturing, and packaging supply chain continues to mature, domestic chips are expected to capture over 30% of the NEV market by 2025. This chip technology revolution not only enhances individual vehicle performance but also reshapes the global NEV industry’s competitive landscape, providing core momentum for the intelligent automotive era.