Qualcomm Shows the Auto Industry the Way Forward

By Ed Kim, President and Chief Analyst

Here at AutoPacific, we can't stress enough the degree and the speed at which the automotive and tech industries are converging, and just how significant and game-changing this ongoing development is. Like it or not, the modern automobile is a highly complex suite of computers on four wheels, and just about every touch point in a modern automobile is increasingly defined by technology. As such, names like Qualcomm, which was previously known for its massive contributions to wireless technologies and semiconductors, have become crucially important in the automotive supplier world. Today, over 350 million vehicles roaming the world's roads now use Qualcomm's Snapdragon hardware and software to bring together ADAS and autonomous drive integration, the cockpit experience, and cloud connectivity.

Qualcomm had several major announcements at the IAA Mobility Show in Munich, Germany that AutoPacific attended last week, and all of them reflected just how much Qualcomm, and tech in general, are integral to the automotive experiences of today. Qualcomm's splashiest announcement was made jointly with BMW with the unveiling of the new iX3 all-electric SUV, which is the first of BMW's new "Neue Klasse" generation of vehicles. The new AI-enabled Snapdragon Ride Pilot Automated Driving System uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride SoC (which in the tech world means "System on Chip", not "State of Charge") and an autonomous drive software stack jointly developed by Qualcomm and BMW. 

This system is fully scalable and is capable of up to Level 2+ automated hands-off/eyes-on highway and city driving (like Tesla's misnomered Full Self Driving). It even offers features like lane changes initiated by mirror glances or steering wheel tugs, and the whole system is enhanced by both on-board and cloud-based AI. While developed with BMW, the system is available to all OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. It will make its way throughout BMW's Neue Klasse lineup, of course.

2027 BMW iX3 with Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride Pilot

BMW rival Mercedes-Benz announced with Qualcomm at IAA Mobility that the Snapdragon Cockpit and Connectivity platforms, both part of the Snapdragon Digital Chassis suite of automotive technologies, are integral to the new Mercedes-Benz MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment. The system, which debuts in the new all-electric GLC-Class and the electric or gasoline-powered CLA-Class, boasts AI-boosted experiences for more personalized drive experiences, and the Snapdragon Cockpit hardware enables gorgeous graphics and animation across pillar-to-pillar screen configurations. Snapdragon Connectivity allows fast 5G data transfers.

2027 Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology with user experience powered by Snapdragon Cockpit and Connectivity platforms

Qualcomm and Google also announced they are collaborating deeper than ever before to bring AI user experiences to the driver. Snapdragon hardware and software along with Google Gemini utilize both on-board and cloud-based AI to provide the best possible personalized experiences for the driver that evolve to become even better over time. This doesn't necessarily mean Google-branded in-cockpit experiences; automakers can brand their experiences any way they want, and they are not required to use Google or Gemini branding.

With this, automakers using Snapdragon elements can be prepared for future AI developments for fast deployment - essential in a tech world that moves much faster than the automotive world traditionally does - as well as allowing for vehicle customers to enjoy advancements in AI over the course of their ownership cycles.