British chip designer and IP vendor Arm has introduced Zena Compute Subsystems (CSS) — a standardized, pre-integrated compute platform that enables automakers to launch AI-defined vehicles up to a year faster than current industry timelines allow.
As vehicles rapidly evolve into intelligent, software-defined systems, the traditional model of custom hardware and long silicon development cycles has become a major bottleneck. Arm’s Zena CSS addresses this challenge head-on, reducing silicon development time by up to 12 months, slashing engineering effort by 20%, and enabling software innovation to begin even before silicon is available.
“Zena CSS is our response to the growing complexity and urgency of delivering smarter, safer, and more connected vehicles,” said Arm in its announcement. “It provides a scalable, safety-capable compute foundation that can be reused across vehicle lines and adapted for evolving AI workloads.”
Redefining the Roadmap for AI-Defined Vehicles
Built on the Armv9 Automotive Enhanced (AE) architecture, Zena CSS integrates 16 high-performance Cortex-A720AE cores, a Cortex-R82AE-powered Safety Island, Arm TrustZone-based security, and optional graphics and imaging capabilities. The compute platform is pre-verified and safety-ready, simplifying system validation and certification — one of the most resource-intensive phases of vehicle development.
This platform enables automakers and chipmakers to reuse architectures and software across models, significantly lowering costs and complexity. Arm projects that most global OEMs — including Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, NIO, Rivian, and Geely, which already depend on Arm-based platforms — will adopt Zena CSS in the coming years.
Empowering Automakers and Developers
Zena CSS not only accelerates chip development but also empowers software teams to begin building applications immediately via virtual platforms provided by partners such as AWS, Siemens, Synopsys, and Cadence. This can shorten software development timelines by up to two years, creating a crucial advantage in an era where AI-driven experiences like real-time driver monitoring, natural language processing, and autonomous navigation are expected across all vehicle classes.
With a developer ecosystem of over 20 million, Arm’s platform supports open industry standards like AUTOSAR, COVESA, Virtio, and the SOAFEE initiative — enabling collaboration and interoperability across Tier 1 suppliers, software vendors, and OEMs.
Industry Leaders Rally Behind Zena CSS
The launch of Zena CSS has garnered strong endorsements from key automotive and semiconductor leaders:
- Mercedes-Benz’s Chief Software Officer, Magnus Östberg, praised the platform’s potential to “streamline complexity” and establish a “stronger foundation for delivering safe, intelligent, and connected experiences.”
- Panasonic Automotive CTO Masashige Mizuyama said Zena CSS “aligns with our vision of a more software-centric, flexible automotive ecosystem,” highlighting the benefits of virtual prototyping and SOAFEE Blueprints.
- BMW’s Vice President of New Technologies, Dr. Martin Tietze, noted the value of Zena CSS in semiconductor simulation and co-design efforts, especially as the company explores future chiplet architectures.
- Astemo’s Executive VP Keiichi Aida emphasized the efficiency gains and scaling advantages enabled by standardizing on Zena CSS.
- Telechips CEO Jang-kyu Lee confirmed Zena CSS allows the company to “accelerate development and focus on areas of unique innovation” for cost-efficient automotive SoCs.
A Full-Stack Approach to the Future
By bundling pre-integrated hardware, security, safety systems, and certified firmware, Zena CSS reduces risk and accelerates deployment from concept to production. It also supports SOAFEE Blueprints, such as Panasonic’s digital cockpit solutions and Autoware’s autonomous driving kits, offering a plug-and-play path for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
The Zena CSS approach allows developers to build once and deploy across platforms, benefiting from Arm’s ISA parity from cloud to car, ensuring that code written and tested in cloud environments runs seamlessly on edge devices in vehicles.
