Infineon’s Liu Lin: Committing Fully to RISC-V as Next-Generation Automotive MCUs Transition to Open Architecture

Gasgoo Munich – Keynote Highlights by Liu Lin on RISC-V Architecture in Automotive MCUs

On September 16, Liu Lin, senior manager for automotive marketing at Infineon Technologies and head of the RISC-V ecosystem in Greater China, delivered a keynote at the 6th Smart Automotive Chip Ecosystem Conference. He announced Infineon’s strategic pivot towards the RISC-V architecture for its next-generation automotive microcontrollers (MCUs).

Key Insights:

• Market Leadership: Infineon is the leading global supplier in automotive semiconductors, with automotive electronics constituting half of its fiscal 2025 revenue. Greater China made up 38% of global sales, maintaining Infineon’s leading position in the semiconductor market since 2019. The company’s market share in MCUs increased significantly from 32.1% in 2025 to 36%.

• Architecture Shift: Infineon’s current dual-architecture strategy includes the TRAVEO T2G series (ARM cores for lower-end applications) and the AURIX series (TriCore cores for higher-end applications). However, Liu announced that future developments will exclusively use the RISC-V architecture.

• RISC-V Advantages: Liu cited four main factors for adopting RISC-V:

  1. Flexibility: A unified architecture for diverse applications.
  2. Open Standards: Minimizing reliance on a single IP vendor.
  3. Modular Scalability: Facilitating quicker product iterations.
  4. Ecosystem Development: Essential for effective implementation.

Ecosystem Development:

• By 2024, Infineon will establish a complete toolchain, including essential tools like compilers and debuggers. From 2025 to 2026, the focus will shift to operating system features, with partnerships for AUTOSAR adaptations already in motion.

• Infineon has also initiated collaborations with open-source communities like FreeRTOS and Zephyr. A virtual prototype evaluation package (DRIVECORE™ RISC-V) was launched in March, enabling preliminary evaluations by OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.

Standardization Efforts:

• Liu mentioned the formation of an automotive RISC-V working group by the CACC in 2025, with Infineon as a core member. The group published a report on standardization requirements for automotive RISC-V chips, where Infineon played a significant role.

Localization Strategy:

• Infineon is engaging with local OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to explore next-generation RISC-V applications including powertrain electrification and integrated cockpit systems. Additionally, products such as MCUs are being designed with local production capabilities in China.

Conclusion:

Liu Lin emphasized Infineon’s commitment to fully embracing the RISC-V architecture in automotive MCUs, encouraging domestic partners to collaborate as they navigate this industry shift.