Produced by Zhineng ZhixinRenesas Electronics has launched a new generation of automotive multifunctional domain fusion SoC – the R-Car X5 series, marking a significant breakthrough in onboard computing.
With a high-performance and high-efficiency design based on 3nm process technology and Chiplet expansion technology, the R-Car X5 series supports not only Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems, but also applications in gateways and other integrated in-vehicle scenarios.
The first product, R-Car X5H, provides a new solution for multifunctional domain fusion of automotive chips with its powerful computing performance and expansion capabilities. Together with the R-Car Open Access (RoX) SDV platform, Renesas has taken a key step in promoting autonomous driving, AI computing, and the platformization of onboard software development.
Let’s discuss the technical details of the R-Car X5 series and its strategic significance for Japanese car manufacturers and the automotive chip market.
Part 1
The R-Car X5H SoC features 32 Arm Cortex “Hunter AE” cores, with computing performance up to 1000 kDMIPS, meeting the high-level demands for autonomous driving and multi-domain control. Its AI processing capability reaches 400 TOPS, combined with optimized NPU and DSP architecture, achieving highly efficient deep learning inference and computation. Correspondingly, its graphics performance equivalent reaches 4 TFLOPS, supporting GPU hardware virtualization, providing strong support for high-end IVI.
● This architectural design reflects two key points:
◎ The 32-core configuration significantly improves computing density, allowing the chip to handle large amounts of data from multiple functional domains such as ADAS, IVI, and gateways simultaneously, adapting to the increasingly complex real-time demands of vehicles.
◎ The introduction of Chiplet technology provides the possibility for further enhancement of AI and graphics performance. This modular design not only improves production efficiency but also makes system expansion more flexible, thus supporting future functional upgrades and increasing computing demands.
● Process Technology: 3nm Technology for Automotive Applications
The R-Car X5H adopts the most advanced 3nm automotive-grade process technology, providing higher energy efficiency and computing power for the automotive industry.The 3nm process not only reduces the power consumption of the chip but also enhances the overall heat dissipation performance of the system, providing reliable assurance for long-term, high-intensity operation of in-vehicle applications.
Compared to the previous generation, this improvement is crucial for meeting the increasingly growing data processing demands in autonomous driving and integrated computing scenarios.
● Flexibility and Safety: Adapting to Multi-Scenario Needs
The R-Car X5H achieves real-time performance exceeding 60K DMIPS through its Arm Cortex-R52 dual-lockstep CPU cores and supports ASIL D standards, which is currently the highest level in automotive functional safety. This design not only provides highly reliable processing capabilities for critical scenarios (such as autonomous driving and ADAS) but also ensures the safety of onboard systems.
Combined with the R-Car Open Access (RoX) SDV platform, Renesas provides OEM manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers with a highly flexible development tool and software framework, enabling them to quickly adapt to different market needs. This platform strategy plays an important role in the standardization and modularization of future automotive electronic systems.
Part 2
With the development of automotive electrification and intelligence, traditional single functional domain chips can no longer meet the vehicle’s need for multi-domain collaborative computing. The multifunctional domain fusion capability of the R-Car X5 series indicates that Renesas is actively responding to the market’s demand for a transition to centralized electronic and electrical architecture (E/E architecture).
The launch of the R-Car X5 marks the entry of the automotive chip market into a new stage of “cross-domain integration,” with its design concept being forward-looking in several aspects:
● Centralization:Implementing integration of ADAS, IVI, and gateway functional domains through a unified chip architecture helps reduce system complexity and overall vehicle development costs.
● Modularity:Chiplet technology provides the system with flexibility in performance and functionality, allowing manufacturers to configure and upgrade as needed.
● High Efficiency:The combination of 3nm process and optimized architecture enables the chip to effectively reduce energy consumption while ensuring performance, which is of great significance for promoting low-carbon development in the automotive industry.
The RoX SDV platform is an important complement to the R-Car X5 series. By providing one-stop development tools, software support, and cloud services, Renesas has built a lifecycle ecosystem covering hardware design, software development, and testing deployment.
This open platform strategy brings two major advantages to Renesas:
● Strengthening the Ecosystem:By sharing technological resources with partners, Renesas can meet the personalized needs of different customers in a shorter time, thereby consolidating its market position.
● Raising Technical Barriers:Compared to other competitors, Renesas’s leading advantage in chip and platform collaborative development helps further expand its technological gap in the automotive chip market.
Faced with strong competitors like Qualcomm, the launch of the Renesas R-Car X5 series is undoubtedly an important counterattack.
With its leading technical specifications and strong platform support, Renesas is expected to further expand its market share in the coming years. Will the sample delivery in 2025 and mass production in 2027 affect its competitive advantage in the market? Additionally, the large-scale application of Chiplet technology will require Renesas to invest more resources in supply chain integration and ecosystem building.
The release of Renesas Electronics R-Car X5 series brings a new technical perspective and competitive landscape to the automotive chip market.From 3nm process, Chiplet technology to RoX platform, Renesas has demonstrated strong technical strength in promoting the platformization and intelligence of automotive electronic computing. However, as market competition intensifies, finding the best balance between technological leadership and market demand will be key to Renesas’s future success.
Zhineng Zhixin believes that the R-Car X5 series is not just a chip, but a strategic starting point for Renesas to redefine onboard computing. With the continuous evolution of autonomous driving, intelligent cockpit, and gateway technologies, this SoC, which integrates multifunctional fusion and AI capabilities, will play an indispensable role in the development and application of future vehicles.