Evolutionary Paths Toward Vehicle Zonal E/E Architecture: A Unified Architectural Framework
- Delivery
- Provide download link
- Format
- Price
- Non-members (tax incl.)：￥8,250 Members (tax incl.)：￥6,600
- Paper/Info type
- SAE Paper
No.2026-01-0071
- Pages
- 1-10(Total 10 p)
- Date of publication
- Apr 2026
- Publisher
- SAE International
- Language
- English
- Event
- WCX™ 2026
Detailed Information
| Author(E) | 1) Shugang Jiang |
|---|---|
| Affiliation(E) | 1) JOYNEXT |
| Abstract(E) | The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation in Electrical/Electronic (E/E) architecture, evolving from traditional distributed and domain-based designs toward zonal configurations. The rapid growth of software-defined functionality, cross-domain integration, and centralized computing has exposed inherent limitations of legacy architectures in scalability, wiring complexity, and system integration. Zonal E/E architecture addresses these challenges by consolidating computing and Input/Output (I/O) resources into high-performance controllers distributed across physical zones of a vehicle. This transformation, however, cannot occur instantaneously, as contemporary vehicle designs and E/E system solutions are the result of decades of incremental development based on distributed and domain-based paradigms. Moreover, key enabling technologies for zonal E/E architecture—such as high-performance Central Compute Platform (CCP) and zonal controllers, high-speed automotive Ethernet, and standardized software architecture—are still maturing. To ensure safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) must therefore adopt carefully planned evolution strategy to progressively consolidate functions, realizing the zonal design step by step. This paper proposes a unified architectural framework that systematically maps the full spectrum of evolutionary paths toward zonal E/E architecture. The framework identifies major transition stages, key engineering activities, and alternative migration paths, including distributed and domain-based architectures, vertical and horizontal function integration, various domain fusion patterns, mixed E/E architecture, continuous function migration to CCP and zonal controllers, and ultimately, the full realization of zonal E/E architecture. By organizing and contrasting these evolutionary paths, the framework provides OEMs with architectural insight and practical guidance for planning low-risk, staged transition toward fully zonal E/E architecture capable of supporting next-generation Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs). |
