At the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, Intel shocked onlookers when it unveiled monumental developments that revealed its ambitions to dominate the fast-growing car semiconductor market.
This includes an agreement to acquire the French chip manufacturing firm Silicon Mobility, along with the introduction of a new family of artificial intelligence-enhanced automotive system-on-a-chip (SoC) products.
The acquisition and product launches are an important step for Intel and part of its blueprint to become a prime provider of computing solutions for next-generation electric and autonomous vehicles. The company is leveraging its brand-new AI ecosystem and chip design strengths while adopting an open chiplet platform model that Intel believes will compel wider industry adoption.
Acquiring Silicon Mobility to Boost Energy Efficiency Capabilities
A centerpiece of Intel’s automotive pivot is a definitive agreement to purchase Silicon Mobility, a semiconductor company focused specifically on electric vehicle (EV) energy management.
Silicon Mobility designs and produces SoCs purpose-built with specialized hardware and software to optimize energy usage within EVs. Energy efficiency is more than critical for EVs as it means longer range, lower energy cost, and faster charging.
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The company’s products integrate leading-edge accelerators that are co-engineered with advanced algorithms to maximize power delivery and usage across the vehicle’s system.
By acquiring Silicon Mobility and integrating its technologies, Intel aims to expand its reach deeper into the full EV stack, moving beyond just infotainment and cabin features to mission-critical powertrain operations.
The financial details of the deal were not disclosed but the transaction is expected to close once all regulatory approvals are obtained.
“The acquisition of Silicon Mobility aligns with our sustainability goals while addressing a critical energy management need for the industry”, commented Jack Weast, Vice President and General Manager of Intel Automotive.
AI-Enhanced SoCs For Modern Vehicle Capabilities
As automakers race to keep pace with consumer demand for smarter and smoother-running vehicles, Intel also introduced a new family of automotive-focused system-on-chips designed to accelerate the realization of software-defined vehicles (SDVs).
The new SDV SoCs harness AI accelerators and advanced processing capabilities stemming from Intel’s PC and data center groups. This allows the chips to handle workloads like artificial intelligence, high-bandwidth data transfers, graphics/media encoding, and other tasks simultaneously.
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During a demo at CES 2024, Intel showcased the SoCs concurrently running compute-heavy workloads across heterogeneous operating systems – from AI assistance to gaming, video conferencing, and more.
The chip family is engineered to support emerging in-cabin monitoring features like driver tracking, gesture recognition, eye gaze detection, and even emotion analysis via computer vision.
The Chinese EV maker Zeekr has signed on to be the first adopter of Intel’s SDV SoCs to power next-level user experiences that may include AI voice assistants and conversational interfaces.
Open Chiplet Initiative Promotes Flexibility for Automakers
Alongside its hardware announcements, Intel revealed plans to spur an open chiplet ecosystem for the auto industry – a modular approach allowing carmakers to integrate third-party chiplet IP into Intel’s automotive SoCs.
The open chiplet concept could reduce barriers and costs for automakers by cutting reliance on fixed, monolithic chip designs. Instead, Intel will invite customers to “mix-and-match” specialty chiplets onto Intel SoC packages, customizing them to meet specific computational requirements.
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Intel believes that this chiplet platform model will eliminate vendor lock-in and encourage agile and customizable computers that should be better suited for the transition toward smart and upgradable SDVs.
To assure automotive-grade reliability, Intel is working alongside R&D partner imec to validate packaging methods for chiplets operating under extreme driving conditions.
The company also shared its plans to spearhead an industry-wide standard for electric vehicle power management as chair of a new SAE International technical committee.
Analysts See Big Market Potential But Fierce Competition
Industry analysts view Intel’s multifaceted automotive push as further evidence supporting the semiconductor sector’s bullish outlook for smart mobility demand over the next decade.
The company’s announcements mark a milestone in its ongoing efforts to harness a dominant position in the up-and-coming AI ecosystem. The Silicon Mobility acquisition is a big step toward expanding the firm’s footprint within automobile’s mission-critical systems while the interoperability proposed by Intel via its open chiplet platform can foster a new era of enhanced in-vehicle capabilities.
However, tech experts caution that the competitive landscape is intensifying as rivals like Nvidia, Qualcomm, and AMD are also battling to expand their market share at the intersection of vehicles and high technology.
Successful demonstrations of real differentiation and its ability to compel top global automakers into adopting the new technologies and products developed by its auto unit will determine if Intel will thrive as a tier-one supplier in the long run.
No dates were provided in regard to when the new chips and open chiplets will become available for automakers to give them a try. However, the rapid pace of today’s AI race will surely put pressure on Intel’s engineers to deliver results fast.