Inventec and Renesas Electronics have agreed to jointly design automotive-grade gateway solutions for the rapidly-growing electric vehicle (EV) market, according to the company. A proof-of-concept (PoC) for connected gateways based on Renesas' industry-leading R-Car system-on-chip (SoC) will be developed for Tier-1 automotive suppliers and OEMs.
Under the terms of the agreement, Renesas will provide Inventec with its most recent R-Car SoCs, analog, and power products, as well as engineering support for the development of a PoC for next-generation in-vehicle connected gateway systems. The two companies will exchange product development roadmaps, market intelligence, and specifications on a regular basis. The first PoC will integrate cybersecurity and over-the-air (OTA) features for connected gateway applications; Inventec anticipates its release in the second quarter of 2024.
The PoC development of a proof of concept for automotive gateways reflects a transformational transition in the automotive industry toward new E/E (electrical and electronics) architectures. Developers of automotive systems must incorporate complex networks of electronic control units (ECU) into their vehicles and enable secure OTA software updates. The new PoC will not only spur innovation in vehicle development, but will also open up new opportunities for emerging vehicle manufacturers to participate in the swiftly expanding EV market.
The Renesas R-Car is a high-performance, scalable compute platform designed for a variety of automotive applications, including automated driving (AD), ADAS, connected gateways, in-vehicle infotainment systems, cockpits, and dashboards. In the future, the two companies intend to collaborate on a variety of in-vehicle applications, including vehicle computers and battery management systems, in addition to connected gateways.
"We are delighted to have Inventec as a partner to build a faster and more secure gateway solution for EVs," said Takeshi Fuse, head of function unit and business development for Renesas' high performance computing, analog and power solutions group. "As Tier1s and car manufacturers increasingly invest in automotive electrification, we are uniquely positioned to build a working design that addresses the complex demands of today's automotive industry."
"We have years of experience serving the PC, server and mobile phone markets and meeting the performance and reliability requirements of our customers," said Sam Yeh, chairman of Inventec. "The integration of our technology with Renesas' field-proven R-Car SoC platform will enable us to reach a new base of EV customers in search of advanced intelligent automotive solutions around the world."
