In the old days, horsepower and motor power were the primary performance indicators for ICEs and EVs. As the world shifts to the intelligence era, brain power becomes the new horse power; compute power replaces the old motor power. The next generation of cars—true Robocars—is powered by their onboard supercomputer, distinguishing them from traditional cars. Greater computing power is the foundation to smarter AI, improved safety, and advanced features, setting the benchmark for automotive excellence.
Through our direct partnership with Nvidia, Tensor is equipped with the world’s most powerful automotive supercomputer. With over 8,000 Tera-Operations-Per-Second (TOPS) of GPU computing performance, it sets a new benchmark, vastly surpassing any vehicle available today.
Tensor’s brain is the world’s first mass-produced, fully automotive-grade supercomputer purpose-built for Level 4 autonomous driving. It features unprecedented triple-layer safety redundancy. At its core are eight NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor SoCs based on the cutting-edge Blackwell GPU architecture—the most powerful automotive chips NVIDIA has ever created—each capable of delivering 2,000 TOPS with sparsity, or 1,000 TOPS without sparsity.
To illustrate, a 2025 MacBook Pro laptop equipped with Apple's latest M4 chip provides approximately 38 TOPS. A single Tensor Robocar thus delivers the computing equivalent of more than 200 latest-generation laptops.
Each Thor-X chip also features a 14-core Arm Neoverse V3 AE CPU specifically optimized for automotive-grade, high-performance, safety-critical applications. This advanced architecture — the NVIDIA Neoverse Poseidon AE — offers server-class computational efficiency and robust real-time processing capabilities required for next-generation vehicle systems.
The Tensor Supercomputer delivers performance on par with Nvidia’s GB200 Superchip — the most powerful server GPU used in today’s data centers, priced at around $70,000 and not built to meet automotive-grade standards.
Adding further redundancy, the Tensor Supercomputer also integrates advanced automotive-grade chips from industry leaders TI, NXP, and Renesas. Two TI TDA4VH processors, each delivering 32 TOPS and featuring an 8-core ARM Cortex-A72 CPU, represent the pinnacle of TI’s automotive processing expertise. Similarly, two NXP S32G 399A processors—the flagship of NXP’s automotive network processors—provide unmatched ASIL-D safety, advanced security, and deterministic performance, combining eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores and four dual-core ARM Cortex-M7 real-time controllers. The Renesas RH850 chipsets are powered by automotive grade software built on Vector AutoSAR, achieving ASIL-D functional safety level.
In total, the Tensor Supercomputer is equipped with 10 GPUs and 144 CPU cores, along with numerous Digital Signal Processors and microcontrollers. It streams and processes over 53 Gbps of sensor data — roughly 1,000 times faster than typical home internet — all within a single Robocar, delivering the speed and intelligence needed to perceive and respond to the world in real time.
Beyond raw computational power, the Tensor Supercomputer is meticulously engineered for long-term stability and automotive-grade reliability. Designed to endure 10 years years or 180,000 miles of operation, it features advanced liquid thermal management that maintains peak performance—cooling critical components in extreme heat and warming them in harsh cold.
Designed to handle diverse climate conditions, Tensor is equipped to resist environmental challenges such as high sand and dust exposure, salt-laden coastal air, and elevated humidity. Nearly all of Tensor’s high-voltage connectors and electronics housings meet IP6K7 or higher sealing standards and utilize corrosion-resistant plating to ensure long-lasting protection.
A dual-power architecture ensures continuous operation, with multiple external power sources providing full-stack redundancy for maximum functional safety. Even in the rare event of a major system failure, it is designed to fail safely. This comprehensive, multi-layered approach to redundancy delivers exceptional dependability and functional safety.
Rigorous automotive-grade testing—including extreme temperature, shock, vibration, and electromagnetic compatibility—ensures the hardware meets the highest industry standards.
Tensor also features extensive onboard storage, supporting up to 19 terabytes for recording sensor and autonomous driving data—crucial for maintaining detailed records in the event of an incident. Developed in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, these solid-state drives use the E1.A form factor and meet full automotive-grade standards, ensuring exceptional reliability. For added safety, a dedicated black-box system is built in to securely preserve critical data even under extreme conditions such as severe collisions or fires.
Tensor embodies our vision of AGI: private ownership of a cutting-edge supercomputer on wheels — capable of navigating autonomously, understanding you deeply, and interacting naturally. We’re leading the automotive industry’s shift from horsepower to brainpower — paving the way for safer, smarter, and more convenient journeys into the future.
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