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German automotive giant Volkswagen will collaborate with Horizon Robotics (HKG: 9660), a local smart driving solutions provider in China, to develop smart driving chips, becoming another automaker in the world’s largest automotive market to develop its own chips.
Carizon, a joint venture between Volkswagen’s software subsidiary Cariad and Horizon Robotics, will independently develop its first System-on-Chip (SoC) in China, according to a statement released today.
The new chip, specifically designed for China’s next-generation smart connected vehicles, will power Volkswagen’s advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving capabilities, the automaker said at the 8th China International Import Expo, which commenced today.
The SoC is expected to be delivered within the next 3-5 years, with a single-chip computing power of about 500 to 700 TOPS.
For reference, Nvidia’s latest Thor chip — currently the most widely adopted in China’s mainstream premium EV models — delivers 700 TOPS.
Designed specifically for China’s complex road conditions and diverse driving scenarios, the SoC will significantly enhance real-time decision-making capabilities, computational performance, and system efficiency, Volkswagen stated.
Following the start of production of Carizon’s first ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) solution in 2025 and market availability in first Volkswagen vehicles in 2026, the new SoC marks the official commencement of the second phase of Volkswagen’s localized smart driving strategy, the German automaker said.
Carizon, whose name combines Cariad and Horizon, is headquartered in Beijing and was established in December 2023.
