The Tiny Tech That's *Really* Powering Electric Cars! | Lars Regers, NXP Semiconductors
Apr 28, 2025
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Lars Reger, CTO of NXP Semiconductors, shares his expertise on the pivotal role of semiconductors in revolutionizing electric vehicles. He reveals that an average EV has around 10,000 chips, critical for everything from power management to autonomous driving. Lars also discusses the lessons learned from the global chip shortage, emphasizing the need for innovation and better communication between manufacturers and chip producers. Plus, he enlightens listeners on the future of energy-efficient AI and the rise of new automotive players.
The increasing number of semiconductors in electric vehicles underscores their vital role in enhancing safety, connectivity, and automation beyond traditional automotive designs.
The shift towards software-defined vehicles requires a complex integration of intelligent systems, relying on semiconductors for effective communication and adaptability in response to user and environmental needs.
The recent semiconductor crisis highlighted supply chain vulnerabilities, emphasizing the necessity for improved planning and transparency to mitigate future shortages in automotive production.
Deep dives
The Significance of Semiconductors in Automotive Industry
Semiconductors play a critical role in the automotive sector, particularly as vehicles transition from traditional combustion engines to electric drivetrains. Electric vehicles contain up to ten times more semiconductors than conventional cars, with these components acting as the backbone for enhanced safety, connectivity, and automation. This evolution highlights the increasing complexity in automotive architecture, wherein semiconductors are not just components but essential for vehicle innovation, affecting how cars are designed and function. The importance of semiconductor companies like NXP is underscored by their ability to provide the necessary technology that powers modern vehicles, including those required for advancements in automation and connectivity.
Shift Towards Software-Defined Vehicles
As the automotive industry shifts towards software-defined vehicles, the integration of semiconductors into various vehicle systems becomes increasingly significant. These vehicles rely on a network of intelligent systems that must communicate effectively, creating a complex ecosystem of software and hardware. By understanding and optimizing the architecture of these systems, manufacturers can create adaptable and multifunctional vehicles that respond to both driver needs and external conditions. This includes utilizing semiconductors to enable capabilities such as vehicle-to-cloud communication and responsive driving features, which evolve as new software updates are released.
Addressing Supply Chain Challenges
The recent semiconductor crisis highlighted vulnerabilities within the automotive supply chain, emphasizing the need for improved communication and coordination among manufacturers. A significant challenge occurred when car production decreased, yet new vehicle architectures demanded exponentially more chips, creating a bottleneck. To prevent future shortages, enhanced transparency and strategic planning throughout the supply chain are crucial. By ensuring that all stakeholders have insight into upcoming needs and orders, manufacturers can better prepare for fluctuations in demand and mitigate risks associated with semiconductor shortages.
Future of Semiconductor Technology
The semiconductor landscape is set to evolve as demands for energy efficiency and performance increase in automotive applications. While traditional approaches focused on maximizing digital processing power, there is now a profound need for semiconductors that excel in energy-conserving functionalities and precise analog measurements. Innovations in the field must address the challenges of creating intelligent systems that require minimal energy to operate, especially as the number of connected devices grows. This shift towards energy-efficient architectures will play a key role in the development of robots and vehicles that are capable of advanced sensing and autonomous behavior without overburdening the environment.
Collaboration and Innovation in the Automotive Ecosystem
To harness the full potential of semiconductor technology in vehicles, fostering collaboration between various stakeholders in the automotive ecosystem is essential. Engaging with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and tier-one suppliers allows semiconductor companies to align their developments with market needs. This collaboration can accelerate innovation, resulting in more advanced vehicles that leverage cutting-edge technology. The emergence of agile startups is pushing traditional incumbents to adapt and integrate new technologies, thereby enhancing the overall speed of innovation within the industry.
In this episode of the Fully Charged Show Podcast, Imogen Bhogal sits down with Lars Reger, CTO of NXP Semiconductors, to explore the critical role that chips play in the electric vehicle revolution. With the average EV containing around 10,000 semiconductors - 10 times more than an combustion car, these tiny silicon components are doing some seriously heavy lifting — from power & energy management, control systems, security, connectivity to autonomous driving and increasing amounts of AI. NXP supplies chips to major automotive players around the globe, giving Lars a front-row seat to the transformation of electric mobility from the incumbents, to the new players and beyond. Together, they delve into what it really means to create a software-defined vehicle, the future of self-driving and the need for energy-efficient AI. Lars also shares what can be learnt from the global chip shortage and how it can be avoided from happening again. Enjoy! @EverythingElectricShow @fullychargedshow 00:00 Introduction and a bit of context 02:36 Ad Break 02:52 NXP Semiconductors 05:04 An accident and a brain on shoes?! 14:48 Chips and rolling robots! 20:39 A global perspective 26:00 Avoiding another chip crisis 36:26 New oems are more efficient 38:46 Making AI more efficient 46:43 What ChatGPT can learn from Electric Cars 49:38 A huge convergence? 53:20 Just one wish 56:07 Concluding thoughts 56:52 Ad: Duracell Energy This episode is sponsored by Duracell Energy! Enter the Free Prize Draw to WIN your own Duracell Energy bunny here: https://www.duracellenergy.com/givaway/ Get a free quote for solar and battery from Duracell Energy here: https://bit.ly/4i9ERid Free Prize Draw Terms & Conditions can be found here: https://www.duracellenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Prize-Draw-2025-Puredrive-Energy-Ltd.pdf Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: https://everythingelectric.show Check out our sister channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fullychargedshow Why are our episodes now sponsored? https://fullycharged.show/blog/dan-caesar-on-x-insta-youtube-and-why-we-made-a-contro[…]s-on-fully-charged-everything-electric-electric-vehicles-uk/ Support our StopBurningStuff campaign: https://www.patreon.com/STOPBurningStuff Become a Fully Charged SHOW Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fullychargedshow Become a YouTube member: use JOIN button above Buy the Fully Charged Guide to Electric Vehicles & Clean Energy : https://buff.ly/2GybGt0 Subscribe for episode alerts and the Fully Charged newsletter: https://fullycharged.show/zap-sign-up/ Visit: https://FullyCharged.Show Find us on X: https://x.com/Everyth1ngElec Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/fullychargedshow To partner, exhibit or sponsor at our award-winning expos email: commercial@fullycharged.show Everything Electric CANADA - Vancouver Convention Center - 5th, 6th & 7th September 2025 Everything Electric SOUTH (UK) - Farnborough International - 10th, 11th & 12th October 2025 Everything Electric AUSTRALIA VIC - 14th, 15th & 16th November 2025 #fullychargedshow #everythingelectricshow #homeenergy #cleanenergy #battery #electriccars #electricvehicles #semiconductor #nxp
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