PUBLISHER: ResearchInChina | PRODUCT CODE: 1777120
PUBLISHER: ResearchInChina | PRODUCT CODE: 1777120
Cockpit domain controller research: three cockpit domain controller architectures for AI
Three layout solutions for cockpit domain controllers for deep AI empowerment
As intelligent cockpit transforms from function superposition to AI deep empowerment, higher requirements are put forward for cockpit domain control hardware products. AI cockpit domain controller products have developed the following layout directions:
Driven by the functional requirements of AI large models on the end side, 3D HMI, in-car games, immersive interaction, and the integration of smart cockpits and intelligent driving, the cockpit requires higher performance such as high computing power, large bandwidth, and high-speed communication to support complex algorithm requirements. In terms of high computing power, the core of cockpit chip products such as CPU, GPU and NPU are constantly upgrading and evolving. The CPU computing power of the mainstream high-end cockpit SOCs that have been mass-produced has reached more than 200+KDMIPS, and cockpit chip solutions with CPU 600+KDMIPS computing power are also being deployed; the cockpit AI computing power of mass-produced models is up to about 60TOPS, and in the future, cockpit domain control products with computing power of 360TOPS, 400TOPS, and even 720TOPS will be put into mass production.
With the launch of a number of high-computing cockpit SOC products, in 2025, suppliers will actively deploy AI cockpit domain controller solutions based on high-computing single SOC chips.
In October 2024, Qualcomm released the fifth-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Elite 8397, with a CPU computing power of 660KDMIPS and an AI computing power of 360TOPS. It can simultaneously support up to 16 4K displays, real-time ray tracing and immersive 3D experience, and help the end-side AI large model to run at a higher performance. Desay SV, PATEO, Visteon, Garmin and other suppliers have begun to deploy domain controller products based on this chip to help meet the needs of AI large models, cross-domain integration, etc.
In April 2025, PATEO announced the expansion of its cooperation with Qualcomm Technologies to create a new generation of smart cockpit solutions equipped with Snapdragon Cockpit Platform Elite (QAM8397P). Combining PATEO's deep accumulation in the field of smart cockpit software and hardware development, and the advanced AI capabilities, excellent computing performance and high-definition graphics capabilities provided by Snapdragon Cockpit Platform Elite (QAM8397P), PATEO's new cockpit solution will help global automakers provide top-level smart cockpit products for central computing architecture, and provide high-performance, high-scalability and safe smart cockpit solutions. Currently, PATEO's smart cockpit solution based on the Snapdragon Cockpit Platform Elite (QAM8397P) has been designated for a mass production project by a leading Chinese automaker.
In 2025, SemiDrive launched the new generation of AI cockpit chips X10 series, which integrates 40TOPS NPU computing power and 154GB/s ultra-large memory bandwidth, supports the deployment of 7B multi-modal large models on the end side, and solves the pain point of response delay. At the same time, SemiDrive Technology has in-depth cooperation with large model companies such as FaceWall Intelligence and Banma Intelligent Driving to improve the tool chain and accelerate the implementation of in-vehicle AI. Suppliers such as Desay SV have announced that they will develop a new generation of AI cockpit platforms based on SemiDrive X10 to achieve higher performance in a more efficient and economical way, bringing users a safer and more personalized AI cockpit experience.
In addition to the performance improvement of a single chip, some OEMs use dual-cockpit SoC chips to ensure low latency, efficient and stable operation of the cockpit. Such as dual Qualcomm 8295 chip cockpit domain controller, dual Qualcomm 8155 chip cockpit domain controller, dual SiEngine Longying No. 1 and other cockpit domain controller products. They connect the two chips through a high-speed interconnect interface and use a unique computing power allocation technology to achieve high computing power, large bandwidth and other cockpit domain control product layouts, helping AI large models, 3D, multi-modal interaction and other mass production on vehicles.
For example, the newly launched Lynk & Co 900 cockpit in 2025 is equipped with dual Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chips to build a high-computing power base, realizing cockpit functions such as 30-inch 6K integrated main screen, 30-inch 6K floating entertainment screen in the rear row and 95-inch AR-HUD, 3D visual desktop, cross-screen gestures, immersive sound effects, and "AI smart butler" emotional interaction.
In addition, facing the industry dilemma of cockpit chip computing power bottleneck, some companies have launched cockpit domain controller + AI BOX solutions to accelerate the layout of AI cockpit equality without changing the original wiring architecture of the vehicle.
For example, at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, the AI cockpit exhibited by Aptiv deployed multi-modal large models on the end side and combined them with large models on the cloud, based on the existing high-computing cockpit platform as the AI main processor and the computing power expansion of the AI coprocessor, to achieve fast and flexible deployment, so that the large model capabilities can be better improved on the end side of the smart cockpit.
In June 2025, ThunderSoft launched ThunderSoft AI Box, which built an elastic computing matrix based on the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX vehicle computing platform, and can flexibly adapt low, medium and high-end models to the AI computing power requirements of Agent in different scenarios. Without large-scale hardware transformation, large models can be efficiently deployed.
In April 2025, Banma Intelligent Driving and Unisoc jointly launched the new generation of head unit interaction external hardware solution product Banma AIBOX, which achieves a comprehensive upgrade of computing performance, operating system, application software and service ecology through seamless collaboration with the original vehicle without changing the interior and wiring of the entire vehicle. At present, it is mainly aimed at the old models of Roewe RX5 equipped with AliOS operating system to solve the problem of upgrading the original car system experience. AI-related functions will be launched in succession.
With the centralized evolution of EEA and the launch of new multi-domain SOC products, cockpit domain controller is accelerating the evolution towards multi-domain integration
As the E/E architecture evolves towards centralization, many OEMs and suppliers have launched cockpit domain control integration such as parking,connectivity, intelligent driving and other cross-domain integration products, and the layout of multi-domain integration domain control products such as cockpit-parking integration and cockpit-driving integration has accelerated.
Cockpit-parking integration domain controller is mainly a new market demand product driven by the cost reduction of the whole vehicle and the accelerated popularization of automobile intelligence. On the basis of trying not to increase the original cost, cockpit-parking integration is a mass-producible solution for cockpit domain controller to achieve more functional integration. At present, cockpit-parking integration is mainly based on Qualcomm 8155/Qualcomm 8255, SemiDrive X9SP, SiEngine Longying No.1 and other chips to create domain controller products.
SemiDrive X9SP is the flagship product of the X9 series of smart cockpit chips. As a full-scenario automotive-grade SoC chip designed for smart cockpits and cross-domain integration scenarios, the X9SP "cockpit-parking integration" architecture integrates the cockpit domain (central control/instrument/in-vehicle entertainment/voice interaction/application ecology) and parking domain (APA/surround view image/DVR/DMS) functions on a single computing platform through hardware integration.
Cockpit domain control products based on SemiDrive X9SP have achieved large-scale mass production. In June 2025, Chery Tiggo 7 High Energy Edition was officially launched. Its 1.5T model was equipped with SemiDrive Technology's X9SP cockpit chip, which supports high-reliability instruments and 13.2-inch super interactive AI digital screens.
In terms of cockpit-driving integration, the number of cockpit-driving integrated domain controller installed in China's passenger cars in 2024 was about 438,600, and the number of models has reached more than 20. Except for the low-end version of Leapmotor C series (less than 200,000 yuan), other models including Xpeng, NIO, Voyah, Leapmotor LEAP3.5 architecture and Xiaomi cars all adopt multi-chip ONE BOX solution, with a typical configuration of mainstream smart cockpit chips (Qualcomm 8295/8155) + mainstream intelligent driving chips (Nvidia Orin-X), etc.
In May 2025, Xiaomi released its latest model YU7, which is equipped with a four-in-one domain control module, which has built-in ADD assisted driving domain controller, T-Box communication module, DCD cockpit domain controller, and VCCD vehicle domain controller. The latter three are placed on one mainboard, while the ADD assisted driving domain control is a separate mainboard, integrated into a four-domain-in-one computing platform. It not only reduces the volume and weight, the number of controllers is reduced by 75%, the occupied space is reduced by 57%, the weight of parts is reduced from 6.85kg to 3.6kg, and the weight of parts is reduced by 47%, but also achieves full-link energy efficiency optimization. The entire EEA increases the range by more than 16km, of which the sentinel mode reduces power consumption by 40% and increases the range by more than 5 kilometers.
With the continuous launch of high-performance cross-domain SOC chip products, many OEMs and suppliers have accelerated the layout of single-SOC cockpit-driving domain control products, preferring chips based on Qualcomm Ride Flex SA8775P chip, NVIDIA Thor, Black Sesame C1296, etc., and mass-produced models will appear in 2025.