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Samsung to supply semiconductors for BMW’s next-generation EVs

Published: 30 Dec. 2025, 18:45

Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, right, poses for a photo with BMW CEO Oliver Zipse and others at the BMW Driving Center in Yeongjong Island, Incheon, on Dec. 17, 2022. [YONHAP]

Samsung Electronics has begun supplying semiconductors for BMW’s next-generation EVs, underscoring the group’s broader push to strengthen its automotive electronics business as Chairman Lee Jae-yong expands partnerships with global automakers and steps up investments in autonomous driving technologies through large-scale mergers and acquisitions.

Samsung Electronics’ System LSI Division has supplied its in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) chip, the Exynos Auto V720, to BMW’s next-generation EV, the new iX3, according to industry sources on Monday. IVI semiconductors function as the “brain” of a vehicle, providing drivers with real-time driving information and supporting high-definition multimedia playback and high-performance gaming.

The new iX3 is a midsize electric sport utility vehicle and the first mass-produced model to be built on BMW’s next-generation electrification platform, Neue Klasse. The car was unveiled at IAA 2025, Europe’s largest motor show, held in Munich in September, and is scheduled for launch in the Korean market in the second half of next year.

Samsung plans to expand chip supplies across BMW’s next-generation lineup. Industry watchers expect the company’s latest processor, the Exynos Auto V920, to be adopted for BMW’s next-generation 7 Series. With the deal, Samsung adds BMW to its automotive customer base, following Audi in 2019 and Volkswagen in 2021.

Samsung Electronics has identified the mobility sector as a key future growth engine and is backing the business at the group level. Conventional internal combustion engine vehicles use an average of 200 to 300 semiconductors, while EVs require around 1,000 chips, and autonomous vehicles are expected to demand more than 2,000, according to the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute.

Chairman Lee has personally spearheaded efforts to expand cooperation with global automakers. In March, he visited the headquarters of BYD, the world’s largest EV maker, in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, where he met with BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu to discuss potential collaboration.

Samsung Electronics' Seocho office building in southern Seoul [YONHAP]

Last month, Lee also met with Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius at Seungjiwon, Samsung Group’s guesthouse in Seoul, to strengthen ties in the mobility sector.

Samsung has also made a decisive move to secure core technologies. Harman, Samsung Electronics’ subsidiary, announced it would acquire the advanced driver assistance system business of German automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen for about 2.6 trillion won ($1.8 billion) on Dec. 23. The deal marks Samsung’s largest automotive electronics acquisition in eight years, following its purchase of Harman in 2017.

“This acquisition reinforces Harman’s leadership in the industry’s transformation and underscores Samsung’s long-term commitment to the future of mobility,” said Young Sohn, chairman of Harman’s board.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY YI WOO-LIM [[email protected]]