The electrical/electronic architectures of today’s vehicles are reaching their limits in terms of complexity and performance. Connectivity, electrification, shared mobility, and last but not least, automated and autonomous driving require great amounts of computing power. Accordingly, the central computing power with corresponding functions is concentrated in a few, but powerful central High-Performance Computers (HPCs), while Zone Control Units (ZCUs) consolidate vehicle functions in physical zones and ensure the reliable execution of tasks. This supports further decoupling of software and hardware and simplifies continuous updates and improvements to the "lifelong learning" vehicle.