Samsung introduces PCIe 4.0 automotive SSD with eighth-generation V-NAND

Samsung Electronics has revealed its development of the first PCIe 4.0 automotive SSD built on eighth-generation vertical NAND (V-NAND). The new SSD, AM9C1, is designed to provide enhanced speed and reliability for automotive applications, particularly supporting on-device AI capabilities.

The AM9C1 SSD reportedly offers a 50 percent improvement in power efficiency compared to the previous model, the AM991, with sequential read speeds reaching 4,400MB/s and write speeds up to 400MB/s. This is intended to improve the handling of large amounts of data in vehicles, particularly for autonomous systems.

"We are working with global autonomous vehicle makers to deliver high-performance, high-capacity automotive products," said Hyunduk Cho, Vice President and Head of the Automotive Group at Samsung Electronics' Memory Business. "Samsung remains focused on advancing the Physical AI memory market, which includes areas such as autonomous driving and robotics."

The SSD utilizes Samsung’s 5-nanometer controller and features a single-level cell (SLC) Namespace for improved file access. In SLC mode, read and write speeds can reach 4,700MB/s and 1,400MB/s, respectively. Samsung plans to offer storage capacities ranging from 128GB to 2TB, with mass production of the 2TB model expected early next year.

Samsung's new SSD meets the AEC-Q100 Grade 2 automotive semiconductor quality standard, ensuring stable performance across a wide temperature range of -40°C to 105°C. It has also received ASPICE CL3 certification for its UFS 3.1 product, and the company is working toward achieving CSMS certification based on ISO/SAE 21434 to further enhance product reliability.