TIER IV and Renesas Build AI-Native SDV Computing Platform

TIER IV and Renesas Develop AI-Native SDV Platform

TIER IV announced on August 20 that it is collaborating with TIER IV and Renesas Electronics to build an open, AI-native computing platform for software-defined vehicles. The platform will combine TIER IV’s Autoware open-source autonomous driving software and reference AI models with Renesas’ next-generation R-Car Gen 5 automotive system-on-chips. The companies intend to support vehicle solutions spanning Level 2+/2++ advanced driver assistance systems through Level 4 autonomous driving. The collaboration is aimed at creating a common computing foundation that can integrate conventional autonomous driving software with increasingly AI-native vehicle functions.

R-Car Gen 5 to Serve as Reference Computing Platform

TIER IV will adopt Renesas’ R-Car Gen 5 as one of its primary reference computing platforms, with both companies jointly integrating and optimizing the hardware and software. The resulting platform is planned for automakers and Tier 1 suppliers worldwide, providing an architecture designed to support different levels of automated driving. TIER IV will also deploy its end-to-end autonomous driving AI models on R-Car Gen 5, enabling conventional autonomous driving software and AI-native driving models to operate on a common computing platform. This approach is intended to simplify integration while supporting scalable autonomous driving development across different vehicle applications.

AI Accelerators and Advanced Sensing Technologies

Beyond the computing platform collaboration, TIER IV is developing AI accelerators optimized for transformer-based autonomous driving AI and next-generation sensing technologies. These technologies include LiDAR and 4D radar, which are intended to support increasingly capable perception and autonomous driving systems. The company plans to demonstrate Autoware and its reference AI models running on Renesas’ R-Car X5H at Automotive World 2026. The event is scheduled to take place at Makuhari Messe from September 9 to 11. The demonstration will provide an opportunity to showcase how the combined software and hardware approach can support AI-driven autonomous vehicle development.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TIER IV Renesas SDV platform?
The platform combines TIER IV’s Autoware software and autonomous driving AI models with Renesas R-Car Gen 5 automotive computing technology for software-defined vehicles. It is designed to support applications ranging from Level 2+/2++ advanced driver assistance to Level 4 autonomous driving. TIER IV will use R-Car Gen 5 as a primary reference platform while both companies jointly optimize the hardware and software. The collaboration also includes deployment of end-to-end autonomous driving AI models and demonstrations involving LiDAR, 4D radar and transformer-based autonomous driving AI technologies.