The SoC will be designed to deliver AI performance of 2,000 TOPS combined with power efficiency of 20 TOPS/W and is slated for use in future models of the Honda 0 (Zero) Series, Honda’s new electric vehicle (EV) series, specifically those that will be launched in the late 2020s.
Honda is developing original SDVs to provide an improved mobility experience for individual drivers and the 0 Series will adopt a centralised E/E architecture that combines multiple electronic control units (ECUs) responsible for controlling vehicle functions into a single ECU.
The core ECU, which serves as the heart of the SDV, manages essential vehicle functions such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Automated Driving (AD), powertrain control, and comfort features, all on a single ECU. However, to achieve this, the ECU requires a SoC that provides higher processing performance than traditional systems, while minimising any increase in power consumption.
Renesas is committed to providing automotive semiconductor solutions that enable automobile OEMs to develop SDVs and its R-Car solutions offer AI performance which can be customised by leveraging multi-die chiplet technology and integrating AI accelerators into its SoC.
Honda and Renesas have agreed to develop a high-performance SoC compute solution designed for core ECUs. Using TSMC’s 3-nm automotive process technology, this SoC will also be able to achieve a significant reduction in power consumption.
Additionally, the system will utilise multi-die chiplet technology to combine Renesas’ generic fifth generation (Gen 5) R-Car X5 SoC series with an AI accelerator optimised for AI software developed independently by Honda.
The SoC chiplet solution will provide the AI performance required for advanced functions such as AD, while keeping power consumption low. Chiplet technology allows flexibility to create customised solutions and offers future upgrades for functional and performance improvements.
This agreement will accelerate the integration of advanced semiconductor and software innovations into the Honda 0 Series.
Photo caption: Katsushi Inoue, Senior Managing Executive Officer and Chief Officer, Electrification Business Development Operations at Honda, and Vivek Bhan, Senior Vice President and General Manager of High Performance Computing at Renesas
