Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Dongfeng Motor Corporation's R&D headquarters recently announced that the DF30—the first high-performance automotive-grade MCU chip in China to achieve full domestic development—has completed its initial tape-out and is set to begin automotive-grade validation, according to a press release Dongfeng Motor issued on April 7 via its WeChat account.
Mass production of the chip is scheduled for next year, marking a significant step toward breaking foreign monopolies in this critical segment of automotive semiconductors.
A typical vehicle contains between 25 to 50 controllers and requires around 500 to 1,000 chips, 90% of which have already been localized in China. However, MCU chips remain part of the remaining 10% still dependent on imports. In 2022, Dongfeng Motor took the lead in establishing the Hubei Provincial Automotive-Grade Chip Industry Technology Innovation Consortium, partnering with Binary Semiconductor under China Information Communication Technologies Group Corporation and seven other organizations to build a domestic chip supply chain.
Designed for broad application, the DF30 chip can be used in both internal combustion engine vehicles—supporting systems like powertrain and chassis—and in new energy vehicles, where it powers critical systems such as the electric motor, battery, and electronic control unit. In February, Dongfeng Motor completed cold-weather testing of a power controller developed using the DF30 in Mohe, China's northernmost city. The successful results strengthened the company's resolve to move forward with industrialization, with hot-weather testing planned for this summer in Turpan.
Validation remains a major challenge in automotive chip development. As one of China's most comprehensive automakers in terms of product diversity, Dongfeng Motor is uniquely positioned to provide a wide range of real-world testing scenarios. Looking ahead, the automaker plans to expand the DF30 into a family of chips tailored for different application scenarios and will also begin development of domain controller chips.
Beyond the success of a single product, Dongfeng Motor said it sees the true value in the innovation consortium model. By leveraging its in-depth understanding of automotive needs and application environments, the company aims to define chip specifications internally and build a fully localized ecosystem—from demand and design to manufacturing and deployment—ensuring greater supply chain resilience.
