Marelli will showcase innovative Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) technologies at Auto Shanghai 2025, including its new ProZone. This mid-range zone control unit combines up to three domains, covering the most complicated and safety-critical operations, such as thermal management, chassis control, and advanced propulsion.
The company will be present at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) from April 23 to May 2 with a major part of its “Fast Forward. Forward Fast” display – located in Hall 1.2H, Stand 1BF009 – dedicated to SDV.
With the transition to SDV, automotive designs are shifting from distributed systems to zonal approaches. This process reduces the number of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) in a vehicle from up to 100 to less than 20 on average.
In a zonal design, zone control units govern cross-domain functionality, lowering weight, cost, and complexity dramatically. As a result, OEMs are implementing several solutions, each with its own investment level and timescale.
Marelli’s deep subject experience and ability to cover 80% of vehicle software functionality set it apart as a leader in the SDV industry. Marelli’s flexible working style, defined by decoupled software, electronics hardware, and functional components, allows its products to be combined with those of third parties, which is a significant advantage when upgrading existing vehicle platforms.
This versatility, combined with Marelli’s plan to become the world’s leading provider of zone control units by 2026, distinguishes it from the competitors. The company creates solutions that meet OEMs exactly where they are in their SDV transition.
Marelli’s booth at Auto Shanghai will feature a dedicated area called the ‘Velocity Zone’, demonstrating how the company’s software-defined vehicle enablement tools drive affordability and accelerate innovation.
Key technologies on display include an interactive SDV configurator that allows visitors to customize their own vehicle architecture using preconfigured feature sets, and MyAvatar, an AI-powered vehicle assistant that can be customized by the driver for an immersive and engaging user experience.
The company will also debut ProZone at Auto Shanghai, a powerful and versatile platform from the company’s next-generation Zone Control Unit (Zones) portfolio. Zones integrate separate ECUs into a centralized architecture, lowering total cost and weight while providing a truly software-defined system that can be upgraded over time.
ProZone, in particular, combines innovation and affordability by managing up to three domains, including the body, lighting, power distribution, diagnostics, propulsion, thermal management, ride dynamics, and chassis. ProZone, like LeanZone and EliteZone, is part of the company’s scalable hardware design, which adapts to a wide range of market demands.
Leadership Comments
David Slump, President and CEO of Marelli, stated: “In the shift to Software-Defined Vehicles, Marelli is ready to support carmakers, at any pace they choose to follow. Our flexibility is founded on a customer-centric partnership model, where we listen, adapt, solve, and deliver, with a commitment to grow alongside OEMs as their needs evolve”.
