Intel Unveils First SDV SoC Family For The Automotive Market at CES 2024

Further to Intel's AI-related announcements surrounding their Meteor Lake SoC and its integrated NPU, the automotive market is another market where Intel expects that AI can make a big difference. Intel has just expanded its attention to the automotive AI market by acquiring Silicon Mobility SAS, a company specializing in EV energy management and AI-enhanced software driving the digital cockpit. This specific acquisition is set to enhance Intel's capabilities in delivering efficient energy management solutions for EVs and the AI-driven ecosystem.

During CES 2024, Intel has unveiled a new AI-enhanced software-defined vehicle (SDV) SoC family. These chips leverage Intel's expertise in AI and show ambitions to bring advanced in-vehicle AI applications such as Generative AI and camera-based driver/passenger monitoring. Zeekr, a brand of Geely, has been announced as the first OEM to adopt these new Intel SoCs for automotive.

Not only is Intel looking to play a more pivotal role in the automotive industry through its expertise in AI, including hardware, software, and everything in between, but it also looks to help enhance the overall AI-driven ecosystem within the EV market. In addition, Intel has announced it is chairing a new SAE automotive vehicle power management standards workgroup, which aims to develop and define the industry standards for EV power management, including J3311.

One of the challenges within the automotive cockpit is power management and efficiency, which is a much more significant obstacle than it is in, say, the general PC. The SoC is an integral part of powering digital cockpits and entertainment systems, as well as safety measures such as LiDAR, radar, and camera sensors in real-time; this is something AI, through analytics in real-time, can play a crucial role in being the difference between safety and disaster.

The first generation of Intel's new SDV SoC family, first announced during the CES 2024 Intel Automotive Keynote, shares some key details. This includes a scalable SoC of up to 12 cores, with power capabilities ranging from 12 to 45 W, depending on the cockpit level and EV power requirements. They also feature integrated Arc Xe integrated graphics, with support for up to four Indept displays capable of up to 8K resolutions. The automotive industry has highly stringent safety standards, so the new Intel SDV SoC family is AEC-Q100 qualified.

We expect to hear more details about Intel's SDV SoC family in the coming months, with no disclosures on the finer technical details of the SoC or how it will transition Intel into the EV cockpit. Overall, Intel is clearly looking to make a dent in the largely progressive and high-growth AI-driven EV market.