From spaghetti wiring to zonal zen — Marelli’s ProZone promises fewer ECUs, more brains, and an AI co-pilot named MyAvatar
Shanghai: In a world where your fridge can talk back and your toaster might be smarter than your cousin, Marelli is ensuring your car doesn’t get left behind. The global tech partner to the automotive industry is revving up for Auto Shanghai 2025 with its shiny new software arsenal — front and center is the all-new ProZone, a mid-range zone control unit that’s here to declutter vehicles and electrify engineers (figuratively, of course).
At their futuristic booth (Hall 1.2H, Stand 1BF009 — in case you’re navigating the NECC like it’s a mall), Marelli is showing off its answer to the chaos of traditional car architecture. For the uninitiated, think of today’s cars like a room full of overachieving interns — 100+ ECUs, each trying to run a different system. Marelli’s zonal approach? Fire half the interns, merge their tasks, and let ProZone take the wheel (not literally — this isn’t a robot uprising… yet).
Why ProZone?
Because your car deserves an IQ upgrade. ProZone merges up to three vehicle domains, including the heavy-hitters like propulsion, thermal management, and chassis control. That means less wiring, less weight, and a lower bill at production — it’s the Marie Kondo of automotive tech.
It’s part of Marelli’s “Fast Forward. Forward Fast.” philosophy — which might sound like the fast-forward button got stuck, but actually reflects their commitment to moving at the speed of innovation (and possibly caffeine).
Enter: The Velocity Zone
At their booth, Marelli is also launching the Velocity Zone — not a new action movie, but a hands-on area where you can play car architect with an SDV configurator or meet MyAvatar, your own customizable in-vehicle AI assistant. It’s like Siri with a driver’s license and better manners.
David Slump, President and CEO of Marelli, summed it up with a CEO-style mic drop:
“In the shift to Software-Defined Vehicles, Marelli is ready to support carmakers at any pace they choose. We listen, adapt, solve, and deliver — preferably in that order.”
Scaling for Everyone — From LeanZone to EliteZone
ProZone is the meat in Marelli’s zone-control sandwich, sitting comfortably between LeanZone (for the budget-conscious) and EliteZone (for the tech-hungry OEMs who want their cars to practically run themselves). Together, this modular trio forms a buffet of SDV solutions for automakers at all stages of the digital journey.
At Auto Shanghai 2025, Marelli isn’t just exhibiting — they’re future-proofing mobility. And while others are still figuring out how to spell “software-defined,” Marelli’s already shipping it in shiny aluminum boxes that talk to your chassis, your climate control, and your cruise mode. Welcome to the zone.
