A revolution in electric vehicles is dawning as the adoption of digital cockpits, ADAS, and connected vehicles accelerates, based on next-generation electric vehicle platforms leading domain and area-based architectures.

The electric vehicle market and the technologies required to support it are expected to record unprecedented growth over the next few years. According to market research firm Strategy Analytics, “The proliferation of electric vehicles is a key foundational factor driving the growth of the current automotive semiconductor market, and related semiconductor demand is expected to record an average annual growth rate of 31% from 2021 to 2026.” Consequently, companies are also actively collaborating on electric vehicle semiconductor technologies.

AMD announced a strategic collaboration with global mobility technology company ECARX on the 8th. The two companies will jointly develop an in-vehicle computing platform for next-generation electric vehicles and begin mass production for a global launch in late 2023.

The eCarX digital cockpit is expected to be the first automotive platform powered by AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 processors and AMD Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs, along with eCarX hardware and software.

AMD announced that it embarked on this development with the goal of providing a superior in-vehicle user experience by leveraging eCarX’s experience in automotive digital cockpit design and AMD’s advanced computing power and visual graphics rendering capabilities. This digital cockpit is scheduled to be released equipped with various advanced features, including driver information mode, head-up display, rear-seat entertainment, multiple displays, multi-zone voice recognition, high-end gaming, and a full 3D user experience.

The Ryzen Embedded V2000 series processors are second-generation products designed for additional applications in automobiles, such as in-vehicle infotainment, instrument panel applications, industrial edge, thin clients, and miniPC systems. The Ryzen Embedded V2000 series processors feature up to 8 CPU cores and 7 GPU computing units for customers and applications requiring high-performance display capabilities, enabling them to drive up to 4 independent displays simultaneously at 4K resolution.

AMD explained that a single AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 series processor provides up to twice the multi-threaded performance per watt compared to the previous generation, up to 30% improved single-threaded CPU performance, and up to 40% improved graphics performance.

The AMD Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs are built on the AMD RDNA 2 graphics architecture, which is the only graphics architecture supporting next-generation desktop PCs, laptops, consoles, mobile devices, and automotive infotainment systems. AMD stated that the AMD RDNA 2 architecture, designed from the ground up for superior performance and power efficiency, delivers up to twice the performance and up to 50% higher watt performance in some titles compared to the previous generation AMD RDNA architecture.

Rajneesh Gaur, AMD Vice President and General Manager of the Embedded Business Unit, stated, “iCarX’s digital cockpit based on AMD solutions can address the requirements of automotive companies in the global automotive market seeking to provide immersive experiences and intelligent features for next-generation electric vehicles,” adding, “We are very pleased to collaborate with iCarX, the first strategic ecosystem partner in China to adopt AMD’s Ryzen Embedded V2000 processors and Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs in its digital cockpit.”

“As the global automotive industry moves toward an intelligent future at an unprecedented pace, the demand for computing power and graphics capabilities is rapidly increasing,” said Jiyu Shen, Chairman and CEO of eCarX. “Through this collaboration, we are able to support OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers seeking to create greater consumer value through intelligent connected cars by further enhancing the user experience of digital cockpits.”