Renesas Expands Auto MCU Portfolio with 28nm RH850/U2C for Vehicle Control and Automotive Safety Applications

• Latest RH850 family addition building on 4 billion+ units shipped since 2013

• Rich connectivity and advanced security for next‑gen E/E architectures

• Supports latest automotive standards with easy ECU migration and upgrades

• Lower active and standby power, reducing ECU power demand

TOKYO, Japan, March 4, 2026 ― Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the RH850/U2C, a new 32‑bit automotive microcontroller (MCU) built on a 28nm process. With rich communication interface support and advanced security, the MCU targets a diverse range of automotive applications, including chassis and safety systems for passenger cars and motorcycles, battery management systems (BMS) and body control functions such as lighting and motor control, and other general-purpose ASIL D applications.

The new device extends Renesas’ popular RH850 lineup as a low-end option, complementing the high-end RH850/U2B and mid-range RH850/U2A products. The RH850/U2C combines four RH850 CPU cores operating at up to 320 MHz (including two lockstep cores), with up to 8 MB of on-chip flash memory. Developers currently using RH850/P1x or RH850/F1x devices can smoothly transition to the new MCU to meet the requirements of the latest E/E architectures.

Communication Interfaces for today’s and Next‑Generation Systems

The RH850/U2C operates with interfaces designed for modern E/E architectures, such as Ethernet 10base-T1S, Ethernet TSN (1Gbps/100Mbps), CAN-XL, and I3C. It also maintains full compatibility with commonly used interfaces today, such as CAN‑FD, LIN, UART, CXPI, I²C, I²S, and PSI5. This comprehensive interface support enables mixed operation with existing ECUs and facilitates a smooth, phased migration across generations. As more vehicle networks transition to domain- and zone-based architectures, the RH850/U2C provides flexible system configuration and scalability, reducing network design complexity.

Robust Functional Safety and Cybersecurity Features

The MCU supports functional safety up to ASIL D, conforming to ISO 26262. To meet modern cybersecurity requirements, the device complies with the latest ISO/SAE 21434 standard and supports cryptographic algorithms ranging from post‑quantum cryptography (PQC) to those mandated by current Chinese and other international regulations. Its dedicated hardware accelerators provide high throughput by offloading cryptographic processing and reducing CPU load.

Power-Optimized MCU Architecture

Built on a proven 28 nm manufacturing process, the RH850/U2C consumes significantly lower power in both active and standby modes. A dedicated standby mode further reduces power usage during deep stop and intermittent operation. These low‑power modes increase power‑design margins and reduce thermal demands so that systems remain compliant as environmental regulations tighten.

“With modern ECUs constantly evolving through software updates and new features, it’s essential that system robustness and operational efficiency co-exist seamlessly,” said Satoshi Yoshida, Vice President of the High-Performance Computing MCU Division at Renesas. “The RH850/U2C combines performance, a rich feature set and compliance with key industry standards to meet the requirements of next-generation ECUs. This is exactly the kind of platform our customers are looking for to build reliable and scalable automotive systems.”

“Renesas’ RH850 MCU family has long supported our systems with proven reliability, and we’re pleased to see the addition of the RH850/U2C further strengthen its automotive lineup,” said Christoph Wenger, Chief Expert Semiconductor at Vehicle Motion at Bosch. “The 28nm MCUs from Renesas offer strong performance and quality, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration.”

Full Development Support 

The RH850/U2C is supported by a comprehensive development environment designed to reduce time to market. Developers can use state‑of‑the‑art compilers and IDEs, together with automotive‑qualified software packages from Renesas and its ecosystem partners. These solutions meet the highest functional safety requirements and support ISO 26262 up to ASIL D. For fast evaluation and project startup, Renesas offers a dedicated RH850/U2C Starter Kit.

Renesas plans to showcase a demonstration using the RH850/U2C at embedded world 2026, in Nuremberg, Germany, from March 10-12, at the Renesas booth 1-234 (Hall 1, Stand 234).