Schaeffler and ThunderSoft Sign Strategic Partnership to Co-Develop Central Computing Platform

Schaeffler and ThunderSoft recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly develop a central computing platform tailored for next-generation vehicle architectures. This platform aims to integrate multiple vehicle domain functions—including powertrain, energy management, intelligent driving, and in-vehicle infotainment—to accelerate the evolution of automotive electronic and electrical (E/E) architectures from distributed ECUs toward centralized computing. Schaeffler will contribute its hardware and system development expertise, along with mass production experience, in areas such as vehicle safety control, powertrain systems, chassis technology, and battery energy management. ThunderSoft will bring its technical capabilities in central vehicle software platforms, operating systems, and high-performance computing architectures. Together, the two companies plan to create a modular and scalable in-vehicle computing solution that simplifies system architecture, shortens development cycles, and enables cost-effective, large-scale deployment across different vehicle models and regions. Initially, the collaboration will focus on the Asia-Pacific and European markets, with plans to expand into China and North America subsequently. Throughout the development process, both parties will ensure compliance with regional regulations for intelligent and connected vehicles. In the future, they also intend to explore integrated solutions for whole-vehicle computing platforms, further broadening the scope of their technological applications.