Sony and TSMC target Nvidia, Qualcomm with 3-nanometer autonomous driving chip venture

Sony (SONY) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (2330.TW) have formed a chip joint venture to develop next-generation automotive image sensors and autonomous driving processors, targeting markets dominated by Nvidia (NVDA) and Qualcomm (QCOM). The venture plans to use TSMC’s 3-nanometer process and integrate dedicated AI acceleration units to support Level 5 fully autonomous driving workloads, including real-time multi-sensor fusion and decision-making in complex road conditions. The companies said the chip is designed to cut power consumption by about 40% versus comparable products, addressing thermal and energy constraints in vehicles. Industry forecasts cited in the report project the global automotive semiconductor market could exceed $200 billion by 2030, as chip content in smart vehicles rises to five to 10 times that of traditional combustion-engine cars. The partnership also includes shared technology development and joint patent filings, aiming to build an intellectual property position against Nvidia and Qualcomm.