Mobileye is making an unconventional choice for its next-generation autonomous driving chip: ditching traditional ARM architecture in favor of RISC-V cores for all 12 of its general-purpose processors. This decision marks a significant departure from industry norms and signals growing confidence in an open-source chip architecture that has historically struggled to gain traction in mission-critical automotive applications.

Why Is Mobileye Choosing RISC-V Over Established Alternatives?

The automotive chip market has long been dominated by a handful of players. ARM-based designs control the landscape for high-performance computing, while companies like Qualcomm, MediaTek, and NVIDIA lead in smart driving and cockpit chips. Mobileye's decision to go all-in on RISC-V cores in the EyeQ Ultra represents a rare exception to this pattern.

RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture, offers automakers and chip designers something their traditional suppliers do not: freedom from licensing lock-in. While ARM core licensing fees typically range from several million to over 10 million yuan, depending on the tier, commercial RISC-V core licensing costs roughly one-tenth of that amount, with lower post-production royalties as well.

However, the real appeal extends beyond cost savings.

"The core value for automakers adopting RISC-V lies not in obtaining free chips. Rather, it breaks the lock-in of existing suppliers. This provides bargaining leverage and a strategic second option," according to industry analysis.

Industry Analysis, Automotive Chip Strategy

How Are Automakers and Chip Designers Adopting RISC-V in Practice?

The industry is following a deliberate "edge-to-center" strategy, starting with lower-risk applications before moving to core autonomous driving systems. This phased approach allows companies to build confidence and ecosystem support gradually.

• Body Control Systems: Zijing Semiconductor, incubated by Great Wall Motor's technical center, deployed its first RISC-V automotive chip, the M100, in body control scenarios like combination headlights, ambient lighting, and switches. The M100 entered mass production by the end of 2025 and is reportedly the first RISC-V automotive chip to achieve this milestone globally. Great Wall plans to equip 2.5 million vehicles with RISC-V chips within five years.
• Powertrain Control: Dongfeng's RISC-V multi-core engine control chip, the DF30, has completed validation on multiple vehicle models, with mass production scheduled for 2026.
• Autonomous Driving Integration: Horizon Robotics' Journey 6 series has partially adopted RISC-V cores and entered mass production, though its main control CPU remains ARM. Mobileye's EyeQ Ultra pushes this further by using RISC-V exclusively for all 12 general-purpose CPU cores, a rare case in the high-end chip market.

Since August 2024, several Chinese RISC-V automotive microcontroller units (MCUs) have hit mass production, with another batch expected to arrive in 2026. These applications are concentrated in control and specialized scenarios like body systems, powertrain, and electronic rearview mirrors.

What's Holding Back Faster Adoption of RISC-V in Autonomous Driving?

Despite Mobileye's bold move, the broader automotive industry remains cautious about swapping established chip architectures.

"Automakers often prefer expensive foreign chips over the risk of switching," noted Ye Qi, senior manager at SAIC Motor's passenger vehicle architecture and systems department.

Ye Qi, Senior Manager, Passenger Vehicle Architecture and Systems, SAIC Motor

The high-end MCU market has long been dominated by NXP, Infineon, and Renesas, which collectively hold roughly 70% of the market share and are deeply integrated with the AUTOSAR toolchain, an industry-standard software framework. Swapping a chip means redoing the hardware, basic software, and testing processes from scratch, a costly and time-consuming undertaking.

The ecosystem investment required is substantial. Infineon, a global leader in automotive MCUs, began building its RISC-V ecosystem two or three years before sample chips were available. From 2022 to 2024, the company focused on compilers, debuggers, and virtual prototypes. From 2025 to 2026, they are filling in operating systems and basic software. Only after 2027 will application layer reference designs like motor drives and AI acceleration arrive.

A full automotive-grade chip typically takes three to five years to complete certifications like functional safety. Engineers who understand both functional safety and the new architecture, along with certified toolchains and safety software libraries, are currently scarce resources.

When Will RISC-V Become Mainstream in Autonomous Vehicles?

Industry experts point to a specific window of opportunity. Ye Qi estimates that 2026 to 2028 is the critical period for the shift toward electronic-electric architectures based on central computing plus regional control. The landscape for new product categories like regional controllers is not yet fixed, creating an opening for new architectures to establish themselves.

The penetration rate of new architectures is expected to exceed 30% by 2027, driven by several converging factors. The rollout of Level 3 (L3) autonomous driving regulations, widespread adoption of City NOA (a form of autonomous navigation), and the volume expansion of 800-volt battery platforms will all drive chip demand during this period.

Mobileye's decision to use RISC-V cores exclusively in the EyeQ Ultra suggests the company is positioning itself to capture market share during this architectural transition. By demonstrating that RISC-V can handle the demanding requirements of autonomous driving, Mobileye may encourage other chip designers and automakers to reconsider their reliance on traditional architectures.

The broader implication is clear: the automotive chip industry is entering a period of genuine competition and architectural diversity. For decades, ARM and a few other established players have dominated. Mobileye's EyeQ Ultra, with its all-RISC-V core design, signals that this era may be ending. Whether RISC-V becomes a mainstream choice or remains a niche player will depend on how quickly the ecosystem matures and whether automakers gain enough confidence to move beyond edge applications into the heart of their autonomous driving systems.