How Many Chips Does a Car Need?
2 Answers
Traditional cars typically require around 500-600 chips. With the addition of features like autonomous driving and new energy technologies, the number of chips in modern cars has increased to approximately 1,000-1,200. Some models that emphasize intelligent features may require even more chips. Relevant information is as follows: Classification of automotive chips: Based on functionality, automotive chips can be broadly divided into three categories. The first category is responsible for computing and processing, such as AI chips used for autonomous driving perception and fusion, and traditional MCUs (Electronic Control Units) for engine/chassis/body control. The second category handles power conversion, including power devices like IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors). The third category consists of sensor chips, used for various radars in autonomous driving, as well as for airbags, tire pressure monitoring, etc.
I've been in the automotive industry for over twenty years, witnessing how chips evolved from just a few simple ones to densely packed clusters. Nowadays, even an ordinary family car like my Toyota Corolla has at least 500 chips as a baseline: engine control, transmission, braking systems (ABS, ESP) all rely on chips, while dashboard displays, air conditioning temperature control, door lock sensors, and even power window operation are all chip-controlled. Luxury cars are even more extreme—a BMW 5 Series likely has over a thousand chips due to added features like driving assistance, lane keeping, and automatic parking. The explosion in chip count brings benefits like smarter driving and better fuel efficiency, but the downside is higher maintenance costs. A single burnt-out chip can immobilize the entire vehicle, requiring expensive replacements. My advice to car owners is to have electronic systems checked during regular maintenance—don’t wait for a breakdown to regret it. Prevention is always better than repair.
