Automakers Can Launch AI-Defined Vehicles a Full Year Sooner - Powered by Arm Zena CSS

Bringing innovation to drivers faster is one of the toughest challenges automakers face today. Traditional silicon development times often delay vehicle rollouts, preventing carmakers from delivering the AI-powered features that today’s drivers expect.  

That changes with Arm Zena Compute Subsystems (CSS).   

Zena CSS enables automakers to launch new vehicle models at least one year faster, with a standardized, pre-integrated compute platform that dramatically shortens development cycles and enables software teams to start early – before silicon even exists.  This accelerates time-to-market, scales AI capabilities across vehicle lines, and helps automakers stay competitive in the rapidly evolving era of the AI-defined vehicle.   

Nearly every global OEM today, including Tesla, Rivian, NIO, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, and Geely, relies on Arm technology as the foundational compute platform powering everything from safety-critical ADAS to immersive in-cabin experiences. The next generation of vehicles will demand even more: pervasive and personalized intelligence that adapts and updates in real time across the vehicle.

Accelerating AI-defined experiences across every model

To compete in the AI era, automakers need scalable compute, without compromising safety, power efficiency, or flexibility. Zena CSS reduces chip development time by up to 12 months and cuts silicon engineering effort by up to 20% per project, helping OEMs and silicon providers bring new vehicle models to market sooner with intelligent voice and touch interfaces, immersive digital cockpit experiences, driver assistance and automation, and real-time awareness.

Introducing Arm Zena CSS

Next-generation vehicles need to run diverse workloads including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) and vehicle control systems with varying safety requirements and real-time constraints on a single platform. Built on Armv9 Automotive Enhanced (AE) technology, Zena CSS is our first pre-integrated and pre-validated platform for AI-defined vehicles by delivering: 

• 16 Armv9-based Cortex-A720AE cores, performance optimized for ADAS and IVI applications 

• Cortex-R82AE powered Safety Island, unique to Zena CSS and used for real-time ASIL D processing capabilities such as fault management, safety monitoring, system control and SoC boot 

• Runtime Security Engine with safety-capable Hardware Root of Trust (RoT), leveraging Arm TrustZone technology to manage SoC-level security 

• CPU coherency and chip-to-chip connectivity provided by CMN S3AE 

• Optional Image Signal Processing powered by Mali-C720AE and Mali GPU for ADAS use-cases including surround view and driver-monitoring  

• Support for easy integration of accelerators and partner-specific logic to meet evolving workload demands for advanced, AI-capable SoC design 

This standardized compute platform gives OEMs and silicon providers the ability to reuse architectures and software, accelerating global vehicle delivery, and simplifying system development and integration – all while streamlining functional safety and security certification. This is critical because developing custom hardware and software stacks for every vehicle model and application is costly, time-consuming, and burdensome to validate and certify. Importantly, Zena CSS allows our partners to innovate and differentiate on top of a standard platform in areas that add distinct value to their product lines.  

Leading OEMs – including top EV manufacturers – and major silicon providers have already licensed Zena CSS or are in advanced stages of engagement. We expect the majority of the industry to build on the Zena CSS family in the coming years.