Visteon collaborates with Tencent to launch SmartCore domain controller

Visteon Corporation, a leading automotive cockpit electronics technology company, demonstrated its newest SmartCore — the world’s first production cockpit domain controller with a third-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon Automotive Cockpit Platform – which will be launched on Chinese automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group’s (GAC) new pure electric vehicle platform, Aion LX.

Visteon's latest step to advance the intelligent integrated vehicle cockpit was jointly introduced at Visteon's exhibit at CES 2020 by Sachin Lawande, President and CEO of Visteon; Cham Zhong, Vice President of Tencent; and Wang Qiujing, deputy Chief of GAC's Executive Committee and President of GAC R&D Centre.

The SmartCore application on the Aion LX is the product of the collaboration by the three parties through a cooperative technology initiative announced a year ago at CES 2019. The new SmartCore intelligent cockpit is integrated with the Tencent Auto Intelligence (TAI) system and the third-generation Snapdragon Automotive Cockpit Platform for the Aion LX, which is scheduled to launch in early 2020.

“We are proud that our industry leadership in cockpit domain controllers, and our technology cooperation with Tencent and GAC, has resulted in this intelligent cockpit on the Aion LX. The Aion LX represents the integrated digital cockpit of the future, which will consist of multiple displays powered by a single domain controller that consolidates ECUs, offering higher computing power and consuming less power, which is ideally suited for electric vehicles. This is a prime example of the solutions Visteon will continue to drive for cockpit digitisation, central computing and autonomous driving,” said Sachin Lawande, President and CEO, Visteon.

Visteon's SmartCore domain controller is helping vehicle manufacturers transition to the intelligent cockpit by consolidating electronic control units (ECUs) to independently operate multiple displays and applications throughout the cockpit - keeping occupants informed and entertained while bringing advantages in weight, power consumption and cost. Visteon was the first Tier 1 supplier to launch a cockpit domain controller on a production vehicle (in early 2018) and is the industry leader in this technology.

The Aion LX is the first production SmartCore application to power three cockpit domains - including the instrument cluster, infotainment and a body control interface that allows the user to adjust the seats, exterior mirrors and cabin temperature with the swipe of a finger. As the industry's first mass-produced smart cockpit domain controller, Visteon's SmartCore not only demonstrates Visteon's strong integration ability as the industry's cockpit electronics leader, but also marks a new era of mass-produced smart cockpits.

GAC's Qiujing said: “GAC is committed to being a mobility life value creator. The ADiGO in-car intelligence ecosystem developed by GAC - which combines Visteon's SmartCore with Tencent's TAI system - will bring an excellent experience to drivers and passengers. The cooperation with Visteon, Tencent and Qualcomm Technologies supports GAC's “integration innovation” strategy and is a great effort to improve future mobility life.”

Zhong of Tencent said: “To address the trend of the intelligent vehicle, and with autonomous driving as a key focus of the industry, Tencent is pleased to cooperate with Visteon and GAC. After one year of this cooperative effort, we have seen satisfying results. We want to continue to bring the “eco-intelligent internet of vehicle” to the products and services of our three parties, to make travel more consumer-friendly and smart.”

On the Aion LX, SmartCore incorporates Tencent's TAI solutions to enable user interaction and control based on voice recognition, offering users a compelling new digital experience. The system leverages the third-generation Snapdragon Automotive Cockpit Platform to provide powerful computing and AI capabilities for the next-generation cockpit system, with high-performance CPU and GPU cores, support for six to eight display screens, power intelligent voice interaction, augmented reality and image processing.

“As the vehicle cockpit becomes increasingly complex with rich infotainment and driver assistance features, the complexity of processing hardware behind these systems needs to be reduced to minimize cost and energy consumption while maximising system performance,” said Shyam Krishnamurthy, Senior Director, Product Management, at Qualcomm Technologies. “Qualcomm Technologies looks forward to continuing our working relationship with Visteon to address complex mobility challenges as we dive deeper into the realm of electrified transportation.”

In the future, Visteon and GAC R&D will continue to cooperate to promote the development of intelligent technologies related to the digital cockpit, centralised computing and automated driving.