SemiDrive’s New Generation AI Cockpit and Smart Control Chips: X10 and E3 Series – Technical Analysis
Introduction: Advancing Dual-Chip Strategy at Shanghai Auto Show 2025
At the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, SemiDrive Technology unveiled its next-generation AI cockpit chip X10 series and high-end smart control MCU E3 series, elevating its “dual-chip” strategy in intelligent cockpit and vehicle control domains to new heights.
The X10 series, with its 4nm process, 40 TOPS NPU, and 154 GB/s ultra-large bandwidth, is pioneering the democratization of AI cockpits by supporting 7B multi-modal large model deployment at the edge. Meanwhile, the E3 series covers zone controllers, electric drives, powertrain domain controllers, and advanced driver assistance through scenario-based architecture, driving profound transformation in automotive electrical and electronic architectures.
This analysis explores how SemiDrive is reshaping the intelligent vehicle ecosystem through scenario-driven products from two dimensions: technological innovation and ecosystem collaboration, and examines its impact on the domestic automotive-grade chip industry.
Technical Innovation: Performance Breakthroughs and Scenario Adaptation of X10 and E3 Series
X10 Series: Redefining AI Cockpit Processing Standards
The SemiDrive X10 series AI cockpit chip redefines the technological paradigm of intelligent cockpit processors with its outstanding performance and forward-looking architecture. Adopting the advanced 4nm process, the X10 surpasses mainstream 7nm/5nm automotive-grade chips in transistor density, performance, and power control, ensuring long-term technological leadership.
Its core configurations include:
- ARMv9.2 CPU architecture, delivering 200K DMIPS computing performance to meet multi-tasking concurrent requirements
- 1800 GFLOPS GPU and 40 TOPS NPU, optimized for AI computing, supporting 7B multi-modal large model edge deployment
- 128-bit LPDDR5X memory interface with 9600 MT/s rate and 154 GB/s ultra-large bandwidth, more than twice the bandwidth of current flagship cockpit chips
The X10 focuses on AI cockpit scenarios featuring “small models for quick response, medium models for multi-modal interaction, and cloud-based large models for complex tasks,” solving the bottlenecks in computing power and bandwidth faced by traditional cockpit chips.
For example, 7B multi-modal large model edge deployment requires 30-40 TOPS NPU computing power and over 90 GB/s bandwidth, while existing chips with bandwidth mostly at 60-70 GB/s struggle to accommodate concurrent operation of large models and traditional cockpit functions (such as instruments, HUD, navigation).
The X10’s 154 GB/s bandwidth ensures that the system can still reserve sufficient resources for multi-screen display and multiple applications while running 7B models, avoiding degradation of user experience due to resource competition. The X10 supports multi-modal interaction by integrating rich sensor interfaces (supporting DMS, external environment perception, vehicle network data) to provide comprehensive information input for AI large models, achieving an “empathetic” intelligent experience.
Its NPU design accommodates functional safety requirements, supporting parallel operation of multiple small models and flexible scheduling of AI tasks, ensuring millisecond-level response and real-time performance for high-priority tasks.
This synergistic optimization of computing power and bandwidth makes the X10 a performance benchmark for the era of universal AI cockpits.
E3 Series: Platform Solutions for Next-Generation Vehicle Control
The SemiDrive E3 series high-end smart control MCUs provide high-performance, platform-based solutions for three major scenarios: zone controllers, electric drive and powertrain domain controllers, and advanced driver assistance, facilitating the evolution of automotive electronic and electrical architecture (E/E architecture) toward central computing. Key technical breakthroughs include:
- E3650 flagship MCU: Equipped with 4 pairs of 600MHz Cortex-R52+ CPUs, reaching ASIL D functional safety level, already secured design wins from multiple leading automotive manufacturers.
This chip supports HSM firmware, AUTOSAR, MCAL, and other comprehensive ecosystem adaptations, providing virtualization software, customized ASIL D PMIC, and IO expansion chips, lowering the barriers to development and mass production.
- E3620P powertrain domain controller chip: Specifically designed for hybrid dual electric control, distributed electric drive, and all-in-one powertrain domain control, featuring a 6-core R52+ cluster (500 MHz), 2MB SRAM, GTM 4.1 timing module, high-precision DS ADC and PWM, as well as hardware resolver decoding acceleration module and mathematical algorithm accelerator.
Its single-chip platform design achieves high performance at low cost, meeting high real-time and high-precision control requirements.
The E3 series covers smart control scenarios from entry-level to flagship through serialized product combinations.
For example, the E36 series and E31 series support ADAS advanced driver assistance and cockpit-driving fusion systems, providing flexible E/E architecture evolution paths. Compared to traditional MCUs, the E3 series significantly improves computing power, real-time performance, and security, filling the gap in the domestic high-end automotive-grade MCU market and helping automotive manufacturers achieve the goal of “uncompromised performance with optimized system costs.”
Both SemiDrive’s X10 and E3 series are core scenario-driven, precisely meeting the diverse needs of intelligent vehicles.
- The X10 meets the concurrent requirements of multi-modal interaction and traditional functions in AI cockpits through optimization of computing power and bandwidth
- The E3 series provides customized solutions for zone control, powertrain domain control, and driver assistance in response to E/E architecture evolution
This “born for scenarios” design philosophy not only enhances the applicability of chips but also reduces development and production costs through platform-based design, promoting technology inclusiveness.
Ecosystem Collaboration: Dual Drivers of Open Ecosystem and Mass Production Capability
SemiDrive has built an open and diverse AI ecosystem around the X10, supporting open-source large models such as DeepSeek, Qwen, and Llama, and collaborating with partners like BANMA Intelligence and Milvus Intelligence to pre-adapt automotive AI large models.
For automotive manufacturers’ self-developed large models, SemiDrive provides software and hardware collaborative optimization support to maximize model performance.
- Its AI toolchain covers model compilation, quantization, simulation, and performance analysis, significantly shortening deployment cycles
- The SDK provides standardized model calling interfaces, achieving “plug-and-play” of AI applications
This ecosystem layout lowers the threshold for AI cockpit development, empowering automotive manufacturers and developers to rapidly iterate products.
For example, BAIC has already mass-produced its localized intelligent cockpit platform based on SemiDrive’s X9 series and plans to be the first to launch a new generation of AI cockpit platforms equipped with the X10. This collaborative innovation from underlying chips to upper-layer applications marks SemiDrive’s leading position in the AI cockpit ecosystem.
E3 Series: Mass Production Strength as Core Advantage
The mass production capability of the E3 series is the core advantage of SemiDrive’s smart control strategy.
As of 2025, SemiDrive’s full range of products has shipped over 8 million units, covering more than 100 mainstream vehicle models, with customers including SAIC, Chery, Changan, GAC, and more than 90% of Chinese automotive manufacturers.
- The E3650 has secured design wins from multiple leading automotive manufacturers and is widely applied in zone controllers and domain control scenarios
- The E3620P meets the diverse needs of powertrain domain control through platform-based design
SemiDrive collaborates with over 200 ecosystem partners, covering basic software, operating systems, toolchains, middleware, and upper-layer application algorithms, building a comprehensive smart control ecosystem.
For example, it cooperates with Lauterbach to support the TRACE32 development tool for the E3650 and has completed the development of the MICROSAR evaluation package for the E3650 with Vector. These ecosystem supports ensure the efficient implementation of the E3 series in development, testing, and mass production stages, reducing the system-level technical costs for automotive manufacturers.
“Open and Win-Win” Ecosystem Strategy
SemiDrive’s “open and win-win” ecosystem strategy achieves full-chain optimization from requirement definition to mass production implementation through deep collaboration with OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and technology companies.
- Li Auto’s CTO Xie Yan affirmed the mass production application of SemiDrive’s E3 series in Li Auto’s L series and indicated that the two parties will further cooperate on the open-source HoloOS
- BANMA Intelligence plans to build AI cockpit and smart control software and hardware solutions with SemiDrive around AliOS and AI large models
This industry chain collaboration not only enhances the market adaptability of SemiDrive products but also promotes technological inclusiveness and ecosystem prosperity in the intelligent vehicle industry.
In the intelligent cockpit chip market, Qualcomm holds about 70% market share, but SemiDrive has become the cockpit chip manufacturer with the highest domestic market share with its X9 series. The release of the X10 further consolidates its leading position in the AI cockpit field, expected to challenge international giants such as Qualcomm after mass production in 2026.
In the smart control field, the E3 series fills the gap in domestic high-end MCUs, forming differentiated competition with manufacturers such as Renesas and NXP. Its scenario-based design and low-cost advantages are more suitable for the rapid iteration needs of the Chinese market.
