U POWER, a Chinese EV start-up known for its skateboard technology, announced a collaboration with Renesas, a world-leading semiconductor chip supplier. The collaboration will enable U POWER’s UP Super Board to utilize Renesas’ R-Car V4H and R-Car S4 system-on-chips to build its High Performance Vehicle Computer (HPVC) and UP Hub. The two companies will also join forces in marketing of these two Electronic Control Units (HPVC and UP Hub) through integrated marketing programs.
As the core smart driving module of the UP Super Board, the HPVC offers flexible scalability in computing power through its pluggable, cascadable design. The quantity and type of chips can be easily adjusted to accommodate the demands of autonomous driving levels ranging from L2 to L4 and higher, allowing car users to constantly upgrade their vehicles’ computing power.
The UP Hub functions as a domain controller with central gateway functionality plus zonal gateway capabilities, using Renesas chips to support scalable ECU designs. It not only offers exceptional computing power, but also boasts industry-leading communication capabilities. The UP Hub covers all mainstream types of in-vehicle communication interfaces.
As a software/hardware integrated automobile operating system, the UP Super Board features a broad spectrum of capabilities that facilitate the creation of multi-type and multi-level EV products. The outstanding flexibility, reliability, security, and cost-effectiveness of Renesas chips are aligned with the UP Super Board’s vehicle manufacturing philosophy.
With skateboard chassis at the core of its capabilities, U POWER designs next-generation EVs for a variety of applications. The company offers two flagship product lines, UP Super Board and UP SPACE. On UP DAY 2023, U POWER debuted China’s first chassis-by-wire skateboard chassis, which would be mass produced down the line.
“We are excited to be part of the design of UPOWER’s HPVC and UP Hub Units, which uses a powerful combination of our R-Car SoC V4H and R-Car SoC S4 to create a robust reference architecture at both ECU and vehicle levels,” said Takeshi Fuse, Head of Business Development and Marketing at Renesas’ Automotive Solution Business Unit. “With these solutions, our customers can achieve the optimal balance between performance, efficiency, and scalability to implement advanced computing capabilities required by next-generation EVs.”
