---
title: "Cars are becoming the main 'memory eaters': from 100 GB of DRAM to 1.5 TB of SSD"
description: "Modern cars are becoming the main consumers of memory: they already require up to 100 GB of RAM and up to 1.5 TB of persistent memory. 🚗💾 The growth is driven by the development of Autopilot and AI systems. #automotive #technology #memory"
date: 2026-07-18T13:45:15.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/cars-are-becoming-the-main-memory-eaters-en
tags: [tesla, nvidia, automotive, semiconductors, ai]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Cars are becoming the main 'memory eaters': from 100 GB of DRAM to 1.5 TB of SSD

![Modern red electric car with panoramic roof and digital headlights, symbolizing the growing memory consumption in the automotive industry](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/18/avtomobili-stanovyatsya-glavnymi-pozhiratatelyami-pamyati/avtomobili-stanovyatsya-glavnymi-pozhiratatelyami-pamyati-1.webp)

The pandemic hit the automotive industry in an unexpected way, exposing a critical dependence on semiconductor chips. Today, the situation is exacerbated: industry capacity is being redirected towards artificial intelligence, while the PC and smartphone markets are relegated to a secondary role. However, it is modern cars that require more and more memory to operate.

### Exponential growth in memory requirements

Technological progress in the automotive industry is not standing still. If the equipment for Tesla's fourth-generation Autopilot originally assumed the use of 32 GB of GDDR6 or LPDDR memory, then the new 4+ version, released this year, already doubles this volume to 64 GB. Similar requirements are imposed by the Nvidia Orin platform, popular among manufacturers, which uses 32 or 64 GB of RAM.

However, these figures relate only to specialized systems. In entry-level configurations, onboard systems, including entertainment modules and driver assistance systems, require up to 40 GB of RAM. At the same time, top-tier configurations can exceed the 100 GB mark.

### The problem of long-term data storage

The need for NAND flash memory for long-term information storage is even more extensive. Modern cars operate in a mode of constant updates. Software delivered 'over the air' (OTA) requires up to 10 GB of disk space just for temporary storage. Taking into account the necessary reserve, this figure can reach 50 GB.

Furthermore, Autopilot systems generate huge arrays of data. Storing the images necessary for the operation of algorithms requires from 100 to 300 GB of memory. The situation is exacerbated by the development of multimedia systems, which are increasingly integrating AI assistants, which also increases requirements for available disk space.

### The future of automotive electronics

A modern car can already be equipped with a solid-state drive with a volume from 500 GB to 1.5 TB. Experts predict that these requirements will grow almost annually, turning the car into one of the most demanding consumers of memory in the electronics market.