Introduction

On September 20, Wei Jianjun, the Chairman of Great Wall Motor (GWM), proudly announced a significant milestone: the successful activation of the company's groundbreaking Zijing M100 chip, the first automotive-grade chip based on the RISC-V architecture produced in China.

The Significance of 'Lights Up'

The term 'lights up' indicates that the Zijing M100 has successfully passed initial testing conditions, making it ready for mass production following further evaluations. This chip is part of GWM's commitment to embracing open-source architectures, which Wei Jianjun emphasized could reduce dependency on European and American technologies, facilitating future expansion and innovation in automotive electronics.

What is RISC-V?

RISC-V, which stands for Reduced Instruction Set Computing with the 'V' denoting its fifth iteration, is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) that specifies the interaction between software and hardware for creating tailored processors. This choice reflects GWM's strategy to ascend as a tech leader in a global automotive landscape where chip availability is increasingly vital.

The Symbolism Behind 'Zijing'

Interestingly, 'Zijing,' translating to the Chinese redbud tree, derives its name from the Zijing Pass—an essential part of the Great Wall of China known for its historical significance in resisting foreign invasions. This name choice symbolizes GWM's intent to stand resilient in the competitive automotive market.

Performance Metrics

According to Wu Huixiao, GWM's Vice President of Intelligent Technology, the Zijing M100 chip's CoreMark score reached 2.1, indicating a high performance level for microcontrollers (MCUs) and central processing units (CPUs) used in embedded systems. Remarkably, all aspects of the chip's production—from silicon intellectual property to wafer manufacturing and packaging testing—were accomplished within China.

Deployment Plans

Chinese tech bloggers have forecasted that the initial deployment of the Zijing M100 will be on the X55 headlight controller platform, subsequently spreading across various models. GWM has ambitious plans to install this chip in approximately 2.5 million vehicles over the next five years. The product roadmap for the Zijing chip series includes:

Zijing Chip Series Roadmap

- Zijing M100 (Body Applications): Air conditioning control, headlight control, air compressor control, wireless charging, and head-up display modules. - Zijing M200 (Power and Chassis Applications): Electronic stability program and electric power steering. - Zijing M300 (Comprehensive Control): Integrates electronic stability, electric power steering, integrated brake control, and body control. - Zijing S300: Central gateway module.

Challenges and Opportunities

The launch of the Zijing M100 comes at a critical time for GWM, which faced severe production challenges due to global chip shortages. In 2021 alone, the company cut production by 408,000 vehicles—24.5% of its originally planned output—followed by another reduction of 210,000 vehicles in 2022, translating to a 16.5% drop. The emergence of the Zijing M100 could be pivotal in not only alleviating these shortages but also carving a path for GWM to solidify its place as a formidable player in the automotive industry.

Conclusion

Stay tuned as Great Wall Motor embarks on this exciting journey, which could redefine the automotive landscape and usher in a new era of innovation!