Auto Industry Updates: Renesas, GlobalLogic, ECARX, Volvo, Polestar, and Synopsis in Spotlight
In a significant development within the automotive industry, Renesas Electronics, GlobalLogic Inc., ECARX Holdings Inc., Volvo Cars, and Polestar have joined forces to push the boundaries of connected car technologies and automotive software development.
The collaboration's cornerstone is Renesas' introduction of its RA8P1 microcontrollers, designed to empower advanced connected car features by offering enhanced processing power and security for in-vehicle applications. The microcontrollers support popular machine learning formats like TensorFlow Lite and PyTorch, achieving a record 256 GOPS AI performance and over 7300 CoreMarks in CPU efficiency.
The partnership brings together semiconductor, software, and automotive expertise, aiming to accelerate innovation in connected vehicles. GlobalLogic contributes with advanced software engineering, ECARX with intelligent cockpit and connectivity solutions, and Volvo and Polestar with real-world automotive platforms and user experience integration.
Synopsys, Inc. is involved in the ecosystem as a provider of simulation, verification, and security tools critical for the development and validation of next-generation automotive software architectures. The company has recently received a letter from the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce, informing that the export restrictions related to China have been rescinded, which may aid in restoring access to the recently restricted products in China.
ECARX Holdings Inc. has released a white paper detailing its rapid integration of Google Automotive Services (GAS) into its infotainment systems. The company significantly shortened the typical 12-18 month GAS integration timeline using a test-driven development strategy and in-house tools. ECARX achieved GAS certification for the Volvo EX30 in 10 months and for the Polestar 4 in just eight months.
ECARX has also built a custom-built automated "test farm" capable of running 1.6 million test cases rapidly. The company has implemented continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines embedded with Google's xTS test suites, ensuring high-quality software delivery.
GAS, built on Android Automotive OS (AAOS), offers widely used Google services like Maps, Assistant, and the Play Store. The RA8P1 microcontroller supports networks like ResNet and TinyYolo, and includes camera and audio interfaces, making it an ideal choice for integrating with GAS.
The RA8P1 microcontroller combines a 1GHz Arm Cortex-M85 and Ethos-U55 neural processing unit, offering advanced cryptographic security, including Arm TrustZone and secure boot. Renesas is offering pre-integrated system designs using the RA8P1 for applications like video conferencing, surveillance, and robotics.
GlobalLogic Inc. has been chosen by Volvo Cars as a strategic global engineering partner for the development of next-generation digital mobility experiences. The company was honored with the Resilience Award at the 2024 Volvo Cars Supplier Expo.
This initiative reflects ongoing consolidation among industry leaders to push forward the boundaries of automotive software and connected vehicle ecosystems. No specific product launches apart from Renesas’ RA8P1 microcontroller were highlighted in the latest reports. The collaboration supports the development of robust, scalable, and secure connected car solutions, helping automakers deliver next-generation digital experiences and connectivity features to consumers.
- The collaboration also encompasses GlobalLogic Inc., who will be developing next-generation digital mobility experiences for Volvo Cars, as the company has been chosen as a strategic global engineering partner.
- In addition to Renesas' RA8P1 microcontroller, the development of connected car technology within the collaboration extends to infotainment systems, as ECARX Holdings Inc. has integrated Google Automotive Services (GAS) into their systems, achieving quick certification for vehicles like the Volvo EX30 and Polestar 4.
- Financing and exports play a significant role in the growth of technology within the automotive industry, as Synopsys, Inc., a provider of simulation, verification, and security tools, has recently had export restrictions related to China rescinded, which may lead to restoration of access to important products in China.
