Nowadays, the intelligent cockpit and intelligent driving in the field of intelligent vehicles have begun to enter the second half of the competition.
In addition to important software algorithms, high-computing power chips, computing platforms, and high-precision sensors are also an indispensable part of the "equipment library" of smart cars.
As suppliers empowering smart cars, their product and technology innovation will determine the iteration and transformation of automotive products.
In March last year, ECARX held the first edition of the Technology Ecosystem Day, and two days ago, the second ECARX Technology Ecosystem Day was held as scheduled.
So, let's take a look at what ECARX has done for smart cars after a year, and what changes will it make for smart cars?
The intelligent cabin continues to iterate, and the intelligent driving is fully developed
In September 2023, the Lynk & Co 08, equipped with ECARX's full suite of technologies, made the first launch of the Antora 1000 Pro, an intelligent cockpit computing platform, and the ECARX Sky Dome Pro, as well as the "show room" for the debut of Meizu's Flyme Auto.
In November of the same year, the Lynk & Co 06 was equipped with the Antola Antora 1000 platform.
At the beginning of this year, the Geely Galaxy E8, known as the "King of Pure Electric Volumes", also realized the launch of the Flyme Link mobile phone domain. At the same time, ECARX completed the supply of Polestar OS based on Flyme Auto for the Polestar 4 in just 60 days.
In addition, Volvo's overseas BEV model "EX30" is also equipped with ECARX's Cloudpeak cross-domain system software platform, making it the first brand in China to have the experience of implementing Google Automotive Services (GAS) in the global market.
In the coming year, we will also see:
Geely Galaxy unveils a new model powered by ECARX's Antora 1000 platform;
LEVC will also be able to launch ECARX's Antora 1000 Pro.
The Lynk & Co 07 will also inherit the mantle of the Lynk & Co 08 and be equipped with the Antora 1000 Pro, the intelligent driving platform ECARX Sky Dome Pro, and the Meizu Flyme Auto.
In addition, the new all-electric model of the smart brand and the most anticipated all-electric model of Lynk & Co (codenamed E371) will also be equipped with ECARX's Makalu computing platform.
It can be seen that ECARX has always put the focus on the intelligent cockpit, realizing the self-development and onboarding of software and hardware. Then in 2024, ECARX's strategy will also change: smart cabin + smart driving "two legs at the same time".
Therefore, at this Science and Technology Ecology Day, ECARX brought a new intelligent cabin platform plan, a new high-end intelligent driving chip, and ECARX's first LiDAR product to enter the field of intelligent driving sensors for the first time.
Let the "mobile platform" realize "onboarding"
As the first Tier 1 company in China with experience in implementing Google Automotive Services (GAS) in the global market, ECARX has developed the SA8255P-based ECARX Atlas computing platform and the SA8295P-based ECARX Parker computing platform based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 4th generation cockpit SoCs.
ECARX Atlas Computing Platform on SA8255P (Part 1)
SA8295P-based ECARX Parker Computing Platform (Part II)
Today, the 8295 is gradually becoming the preferred cockpit chip for mainstream smart cars, with 5nm process technology, support for high-performance computing, computer vision, AI, and multi-sensor processing, which can meet the needs of almost all intelligent cockpit scenarios.
ECARX's 8295-based Parker computing platform delivers 230 KDMIPS CPU performance, 2900 GFLOPS GPU performance, and 46 TOPS NPU performance to support immersive 3D HMI experiences and display output up to 64 million pixels.
Although the 8255 is not as powerful as the 8295, as an upgraded version of the former cockpit mainstream "Qualcomm Snapdragon third-generation cockpit platform 8155", the 8255 has also achieved significant improvements in CPU, GPU, AI, ISP and other aspects.
Based on the 8255, ECARX's Atlas computing platform provides the same CPU performance as Parker's platform, as well as 1.3 TFLOPS of GPU performance and 24 TOPS of NPU performance, enabling integrated cabin and parking applications and L2 driver assistance functions.
At the same time, ECARX's Atlas and Parker computing platforms meet the needs of automotive-grade high performance, combined with the two major software ecosystems of FlymeAuto in China and GAS overseas, to achieve the goal of "one platform for the world".
Obviously, ECARX's global solution can meet the intelligent upgrade strategy of global vehicle brands, especially traditional brands, and more importantly, accelerate ECARX's "going global".
Based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen3 mobile platform, the Chogori computing platform was built
In addition to Atlas and Parker, ECARX also brought the Jogori computing platform based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen3 mobile platform. That's right, you read that right, it's built on a "mobile platform".
BUILT BY ECARX AND MEIZU, THE CHOGOLI COMPUTING PLATFORM DELIVERS 330 KDMIPS OF CPU PERFORMANCE, 4.2 TFLOPS OF GPU PERFORMANCE, AND 60 TOPS OF HYBRID ON-DEVICE AI PERFORMANCE, WITH SUPPORT FOR 8K DISPLAY AND RAY TRACING.
At the same time, the new model equipped with the Chogori computing platform will also be officially announced in a month.
I still remember that when faced with the question of "mobile phone manufacturers make cars and car manufacturers make mobile phones", Li Bin, CEO of NIO, mentioned that "car manufacturers make mobile phones for defense". Then, now the "defense" in Li Bin's mouth is beginning to become more and more obvious.
It can be seen that in addition to the Meizu Flyme Auto, which has opened up new ideas for the in-vehicle OS of various OEMs, ECARX now wants to solve the problem that "due to the limitations of vehicle specifications, the hardware performance of mobile devices is generally higher than that of vehicle-end devices".
In fact, this matter has always been one of the problems that plague the evolution of intelligent cockpits.
Now, the performance of the Qiaogoli computing platform based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen3 mobile platform can not only meet the needs of current intelligent cockpit products, but also surpass the capabilities of the current mainstream intelligent cabin computing platform, and even meet the multiple evolutions and iterations of intelligent cabins.
Compared with Atlas and Parker, two computing platforms based on 8255 and 8295, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen3-based Chogoli computing platform is the highlight of the evolution of ECARX's intelligent cabin platform, and it also paves a new route for the future development of intelligent vehicle intelligent cockpit platform.
intelligent driving,
As soon as it comes up, it will be a "killer feature"?
In addition to the promotion of smart cabins, this year's Technology Ecosystem Day can reflect that "ECARX will fully invest in the full-stack layout of intelligent driving". It seems that after the second half of the intelligent driving competition has officially begun, ECARX finally "can't sit still".
Based on ECARX's Sky Dome Pro intelligent driving computing platform, ECARX brings integrated driving and parking capabilities, including high-speed and urban commuting NOA, APA, RPA, HPA and other functions for intelligent parking scenarios.
ECARX Sky Dome Pro Intelligent Driving Computing Platform can help players who have not yet finished the first half of intelligent driving to speed up the game, and can promote the goal of intelligent driving inclusiveness. However, I don't think that's the highlight of the second half.
What is the real highlight, killer feature, and big killer? ECARX gave their answer: "One heart and two eyes".
The so-called "One Heart" is the "automotive-grade 7nm full-scene high-end intelligent driving chip" jointly launched by ECARX and SiEngine Technology at this Technology Day: Longying Intelligent Driving AD1000. This smart driving chip product will be officially launched in October this year.
THE AD1000 INTEGRATES 35 BILLION TRANSISTORS WITH A 7NM PROCESS, A CPU COMPUTING POWER OF UP TO 250 KDMIPS, AND A NPU COMPUTING POWER OF UP TO 256 TOPS. At the same time, the AD1000 also has 512 TOPS of sparse computing power and 128 TFLOPS of floating-point capability, integrates high-performance VPA and ISP, has a built-in security island, and has rich interfaces.
Through multi-core collaboration, the AD1000 can achieve a maximum of 1024 TOPS computing power, which can meet the needs of L2 to L4 intelligent driving. Compared with the NVIDIA Orin-X, which is now the "first choice" or even "must-choose" for mainstream players, the two chips also use 7nm process technology and also provide a single computing power of 256 TOPS.
However, the power consumption of the AD1000 is controlled at 46W, while the power consumption of the NVIDIA Orin-X is 55W. In comparison, the NVIDIA Orin-X has a power consumption ratio of 4.65 TOPS/W, and the Dragon Eagle Smart Drive AD1000 has a power consumption ratio of 5.57 TOPS/W.
With the same computing power, the AD1000 has lower power consumption, and has the same advanced process technology as the NVIDIA Orin-X, which is obviously better in terms of performance and efficiency.
The advent of the AD1000 not only enhances ECARX's position in the field of intelligent driving chips, but also provides more powerful computing power support for the intelligent driving capabilities of automobiles.
But doesn't it prove that the AD1000 will become an instant hit?
The AD1000 and NVIDIA Orin-X chips have shown a very high level in terms of process technology, computing power, functions and applications. However, whether it can become famous or not depends on the cooperation between ECARX and the main engine factory, as well as the progress of mass production.
Ultimately, how OEMs make their choices will depend on their actual needs, cost considerations, and compatibility with other systems.
Moreover, NVIDIA's next-generation intelligent driving chip product, DRIVE Thor, has brought the news that it will be mass-produced and put on the car. At the same time, the "Journey 6" of Horizon, a domestic technology company that has been deeply engaged in intelligent cabin intelligent driving, will also be officially released this year, and this is a single intelligent driving chip with the highest computing power of 560 TOPS.
Therefore, for ECARX, the Dragon Eagle AD1000 is indeed the first "killer feature" for them to fully invest in the intelligent driving track, which proves ECARX's breakthrough in high-end intelligent driving chip capabilities. However, the opponents in this track are not weak either.
Obviously, no matter how many OEMs will win the favor of the AD1000 and what kind of shipments it will have, we have already seen ECARX's determination to break NVIDIA's monopoly. And now ECARX has stretched out its knife to the cake on NVIDIA's plate.
In addition to the "One Heart" Dragon Eagle Intelligent Driving AD1000, ECARX also brought "two eyes" this time: Light Moment Long Range Semi-Solid-State LiDAR, Light Moment Short Range All-Solid-State LiDAR.
ECARX's Moment of Light long-range semi-solid-state LiDAR provides 192-line capability, supports TCSPS detection technology, and integrates SPAD chips for optoelectronic computing. The short-range all-solid-state LiDAR adopts Flash detection technology, which is mainly used for short-range blind filling, and uses a large-area array integrated SPAD and a self-developed light source driver IC to customize VCSELs, with a resolution of up to 360X150 pixels.
Shen Ziyu believes that sensors are a very important part of smart electric vehicles, and he has been thinking about the problem of manufacturing lidar products for 3-4 years, and what he wants to achieve is the pain point "performance and cost" of the entire lidar industry chain.
For example, these two "Moment of Light" LiDAR products have achieved comprehensive self-development in the core technologies of SPAD, VCSEL and laser driver IC, striving to reduce performance and BOM cost to the extreme.
At present, domestic intelligent driving is in the competition of "de-mapping", but it is difficult to remove lidar. Therefore, compared with old LiDAR players such as Hesai, Suteng Juchuang, Valeo, Huawei, etc., ECARX's LiDAR products are not too early to appear, but they are "not too late" for the market.
At last
ECARX's achievements are obvious to all, and their underlying logic is becoming clearer and clearer, what they want to do is to "not make their own cars, but help car companies build good cars" of smart electric vehicle incremental parts suppliers.
I think ECARX is a "more complete" ECARX.
They have achieved differentiated competition in products, and have got rid of the shackles of homogenization of technology and products, and established a complete vertical industrial chain covering chips, middleware, OS and even sensors.
In addition, it has launched intelligent cabin and intelligent driving products that can adapt to the needs of different OEMs, and has also paved the route of simultaneous domestic and overseas travel.
Moreover, ECARX's advantage lies in the strong support of Geely, an OEM.
Compared with traditional suppliers' "from technology to vehicle", ECARX's thinking is the opposite, starting from the needs of the vehicle and then empowering with technology, they have a unique perspective that breaks the tradition and makes it easier to observe the development and needs of smart cars.
Now, ECARX has built its own technical moat and is "rolling" up in Tier 1.