NVIDIA And Panasonic Automotive Aim To Power Intelligent Automotive Technology!

With CES 2024 underway (January 9 –12, 2024) in Las Vegas, Nevada, we’ve been privy to a range of new technologies and consumer products being unveiled.

For the unfamiliar, CES is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association, which originally stood for Consumer Electronics Show.

Arguably the most powerful tech event in the world, it witnesses participation from the biggest technology companies across the globe and others to display their latest innovations, network with other companies and create partnerships.

Two companies with big announcements at CES are NVIDIA and Panasonic Automotive Systems, both bringing forward smart systems enhancing various facets of the rapidly growing global automotive market.

So, what did these companies announce and why are they making waves? Let’s explore!
 

What Did NVIDIA Announce?

 

• NVIDIA has been on a mission to maintain its 90% market share in China’s $7 billion chip market and announced a range of new chips for artificial intelligence (AI) and gaming purposes that comply with US government’s export regulations.

• NVIDIA revealed at CES 2024 that four Chinese electric vehicle (EV) companies will be using its DRIVE technology to propel their automated driving products and efforts.

• One of these companies is Li Auto, a pioneer in extended-range EVs, which will use the NVIDIA DRIVE Thor centralized car computer.

• As per NVIDIA, “DRIVE Thor is a next-generation centralized car computer that integrates a wide range of intelligent functions into a single AI compute platform, delivering autonomous driving and parking capabilities, driver and passenger monitoring, and AI cockpit functionality.”

• On the other hand, automakers GWM (Great Wall Motor), ZEEKR and Xiaomi opted for the NVIDIA DRIVE Orin platform, which is ideal for “powering autonomous driving capabilities, confidence views, digital clusters, and AI cockpits.”

• NVIDIA says, “The scalable DRIVE Orin product family lets developers build, scale, and leverage one development investment across an entire fleet, from Level 2+ systems all the way to Level 5 fully autonomous vehicles.”

• Automated driving has been a core focus area of China recently, with the government allowing several companies to test their products on designated roads.

• Xinzhou Wu, VP of Automotive at NVIDIA, said, “The transportation industry is embracing centralized compute for highly automated and autonomous driving ... The AI car computer of choice for today’s intelligent fleets is NVIDIA DRIVE Orin, with automakers increasingly looking to the advanced capabilities and AI performance of its successor, NVIDIA DRIVE Thor, for their future vehicle roadmaps.”

 

What Did Panasonic Automotive Systems Announce?

 

• At CES 2024, Panasonic Automotive Systems (a division of Panasonic Corporation) announced Neuron, its High-Performance Compute (HPC) system.

• The Neuron HPC aims to push software-defined vehicle advancements as it helps reduce costs, weight and integration complexities in vehicles as it can aggregate multiple computing zones, essentially removing redundant components.

• In addition to the design being upgradeable, scalable and future-proof across modern evolving in-vehicle platforms, the HPC enables high-performing and effortless up-integration and heavy data input processing capability.

• Neuron can also be used across a range of mobility platforms including internal combustion engines, hybrids, fuel cells and electric vehicles. 

 

• As per the company, “Panasonic Automotive’s High Performance Compute architecture could reduce the number of distributed electronic control units (ECUs) by up to 80% – allowing for faster, lighter, cross-domain computing for real-time, cross-functional communications.”

• Speaking about the company’s newest introduction, Andrew Poliak, CTO, Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, said, “In collaboration with OEMs, Panasonic Automotive has designed and met some of the largest central compute platform challenges in the industry in order to make the driving experience evolve with technology,”

• [Contd.] “Neuron maximizes performance, safety and innovation over the entire ownership of the consumer’s vehicle and enables OEMs with a future-proof SDV platform for ensuing generations of mobility needs.”

Do you think NVIDIA can keep a hold of its market share in China with the latest announcement? Will Panasonic gain ground in the global automotive market with its latest offering?

Let us know in the comments below!