Intel hasn't fared well lately as it navigates a challenging semiconductor landscape dominated by AI-forward rivals like Nvidia. But the legacy chip maker is betting big on flexibility to carve out a stronger position in the automotive sector, offering faster vehicle experiences in a market hungry for differentiation.
At its debut appearance at Auto Shanghai 2025, Intel unveiled its second-generation AI-enhanced software-defined vehicle (SDV) system-on-chip (SoC), positioning it as a key enabler for next-generation automotive technology.
A bet on flexibility: Intel highlights the new SoC as the automotive industry’s first multi-process chiplet node architecture. According to the company, this approach allows automakers to tailor compute, graphics, and AI capabilities by combining best-in-class silicon for each function, potentially reducing development costs and speeding time-to-market compared to traditional monolithic chip designs.
Powering the future: The chip giant claims significant performance leaps designed to meet the demands of intelligent, connected vehicles. Intel projects the new architecture delivers up to 10 times the AI performance for generative and multimodal AI tasks and up to three times the graphics performance for richer human-machine interfaces, based on its internal comparisons. The SoC also features 12 camera lanes to support increased sensor input and advanced image processing capabilities vital for modern ADAS and automated driving features.
Redefining automotive compute: "Intel is redefining automotive compute with our second-generation SDV SoC, combining the flexibility of chiplet technology with our proven whole-vehicle approach," stated Jack Weast, Intel Fellow, VP and General Manager of Intel Automotive, in the announcement. "Together with our partners, we're solving real industry challenges — from energy efficiency to AI-driven experiences — to make the software-defined vehicle revolution a reality for all."