- Micron signed long-term strategic customer agreements with Qualcomm, Visteon, HARMAN, JOYNEXT, DENSO, Astemo, and Hyundai Mobis to secure memory and storage for AI-enabled vehicles.
- Modern autonomous and software-based cars now require far more memory than ever before.
- Supply for automotive memory chips remains tight and chip prices are set to rise sharply from 2026.
Micron Technology locked in long-term supply deals with Qualcomm and six other automotive suppliers on Thursday, moving to secure memory and storage capacity for an automobile industry that is starting to consume chips at a scale rivaling data centers.
The company said the Strategic Customer Agreements cover seven Tier 1 suppliers, which include Qualcomm, Visteon, HARMAN, JOYNEXT, DENSO, Astemo and Hyundai Mobis.
According to Micron, the signed contracts set terms for supply commitments and pricing, and give the chipmaker earlier visibility into how much automobile memory its partners will need for upcoming vehicle programs. Micron mentioned the agreements during its fiscal third-quarter 2026 earnings call.
Modern cars require huge memory
Reports state that a high-end car working with an autonomous-driving computer’s memory requirements can approach 70GB of DRAM, a figure that rivals a laptop. For reference, the infotainment system on the Mercedes-Benz MB.OS platform uses 4 to 12GB, while the cockpit computer in BMW’s new iX3 electric SUV runs with 16 to 24GB of memory.
Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said vehicles with L2+ or higher autonomous capability need more than five times the memory and storage of a standard car. He estimated that such intelligent vehicles will make up more than 20% of sales in 2026 and go past 40% by 2030.
Market research firm TrendForce expects prices for car-grade SLC NAND flash, used in electronic control units and driver-assistance systems, to climb between 120% and 170% in the second half of 2026.
Micron wants to tie down its customers
Samsung Electronics’ automotive memory share reached an estimated 40% last year, edging past Micron’s 36% for the first time, according to an S&P Global Mobility report. SK Hynix has also been chasing the top functional-safety rating, ASIL-D, for its automotive LPDDR5X.
Micron’s reaction to these moves is to retain its customers. The company has already signed long-term deals with General Motors and Ford, and Mehrotra said in June that Micron had reached 16 strategic customer agreements in total. Micron is also the only chipmaker producing HBM (high bandwidth memory) in the United States, and its parts can pair with Nvidia AI processors.
Mehotra also said “The next phase of automotive innovation will depend on the strength of the ecosystem behind it,” adding that the agreements would help advanced vehicle platforms get the memory needed for “richer, safer and more intelligent experiences.” Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon claimed the collaboration gives automakers and Tier 1 suppliers “the strong technology foundation they need as vehicles become more intelligent and connected.”
Hyundai Mobis CEO Lee Gyu-suk said his company’s work with Micron is meant to support future driver-assistance systems and software-defined vehicle architectures.
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Opeyemi Olanrewaju
Opeyemi specializes in creating and refining high-quality content focused on cryptocurrency, global financial markets and the economy. He graduated from the University of Ibadan with an MBBS degree. He has worked as Editor-in-Chief for his College’s editorial publication and previously at CFA. For over six years, he has helped safeguard uniqueness as news editor at Cryptopolitan.
