Here is the French processor that will make electric cars more efficient and cheaper

There was a discreet French scent at Intel at CES in Las Vegas. On stage, head of the Intel Automotive division Jack Weast throws his arm in the air and presents a chip. On this chip, however, no Intel logo. But the name of a relatively unknown company: Silicon Mobility. A company from Sophia-Antipolis bought in January 2024 and which is giving birth, at the start of 2025, to a chip which could provide a big boost to its target: electric cars.
The processor in question is called ACU U310, which stands for Adaptive Control Unit. Because it is neither a CPU, nor a GPU, nor even an NPU, but a special processor dedicated to energy management.

An “x-in-1” processor

Point of display management, autonomous driving or other: the Intel/Silicon Mobility chip takes care of something hidden, but oh so important for electric vehicles. Namely energy management.
The U310 chip, however, did not come out of Intel's hat in a year. “Silicon Mobility has been around for ten years and we've been working on this chip for a while now” explains Mohamed Keli, an engineer at Silicon Mobility for more than seven years. And looking at the complexity of the operating flowcharts of this chip, we understand that it took time to create this strange processor that Intel brands as x-in-1.

“In an electric car, there are many microcontrollers, each of which has its own task.“, he explains. “Our approach is to design a chip that is much more powerful, more versatile and can replace up to six of these microcontrollers.. The idea here is not only to do a better job – thanks to its greater power (read further), but also to save money. In addition to the fact that one chip replaces up to six, there is also the simplification of integration which must be taken into account.

“Current MCUs (microcontrollers, editor's note) in the automotive world are not very powerful and cannot execute very efficient algorithms“, explains Mr. Keli. “By contrast, our U310 can carry out much more complex and intelligent energy management tasks. Thus, it best adapts the engine power to your driving.” Intelligence that leads to scrounge up precious percent of battery.

In addition to this finer control of the motor and batteries, its versatility makes it possible to reduce basic energy consumption. “Take the case of air conditioning: in a classic vehicle, this function depends on an always-on MCU which always consumes a little energy, even in winter when the air conditioning is of no use. Same for the MCU in charge of heating, useless in summerexplains the engineer.

More efficient and/or cheaper vehicles

In addition to the reduction in costs linked to the purchase of components (BOM in the jargon), the simplification of design and integration, the Intel chip also has the potential to lower costs through cost savings. energies.

Not just in gross engine consumption, but through small combined savings. Claiming up to 5% energy savings “at every stepthe finesse of the electrical control of the Intel chip displays impressive bundled savings. By reducing the size and weight of cooling systems by up to 50% and battery voltage by up to 20%, manufacturers can consider transforming their offerings.

“Concretely, with the same engine, we can obtain up to 25% more performance. Or match the initial power with an engine 25% less powerful – and therefore lighter and cheaperwelcomes Mr. Keli. A potential lever for manufacturers to further lower the cost of electric cars, still too expensive for many households. But before seeing this chip arrive in mainstream vehicles, the chip will first arrive in large cars.

Stellantis integrates it into its Formula E

In addition to the chip designed in France, the Intel conference had strong French accents even during the video presentations. Because the first manufacturer to announce working with Intel is Léo Thomas, Director of the FE program, Stellantis Motorsport. “Intel Automotive's expertise is an additional asset to our program and I am certain that working together will improve our performance in the coming months. Formula E is a very demanding competition and we must constantly look for the best solutions to stay among the leaders“, explained the one who supervises the platforms of the DS Automobiles and Maserati brands. Who will, with their French partner Emotors (of which Stellantis is a 50% shareholder), use the U310 in the inverter of the Formula E electric motor.

But Intel's chip is not destined to remain confined to racing cars. The significant automotive presence in France allows the French division of Silicon Mobility to speak directly with manufacturers. And the takeover by Intel was a blessing for the company. “It's true that now that we are in the fold of Intel, this has strengthened our credibility“, admits Mr. Keli. But from there to knowing which manufacturers and models could adopt the chip, there is only one step that Mr. Keli does not take. “All I can tell you is that discussions are ongoing. But if you start to see cheaper electric cars in the Stellantis brands (Peaugeot, Citroën, etc.) in the months and years to come, it is possible that an Intel chip participated in this price drop!