Qualcomm to Supply General Motors With Chips for Next-Gen Digital Cockpits and Advanced Driver Assist Systems

author: FutureCar Staff    

U.S.  automaker General Motors (GM) and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced plans for their continued relationship on Tuesday which will include a collaboration to deliver premium digital experiences in future GM vehicles, including advanced technologies for next generation, connected vehicles.

Qualcomm Technologies is providing chips and other hardware to GM for powering digital cockpits, which will include next generation telematics systems and future advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving features that will be used in GM's future vehicles, many of which will be fully-electric models.

Qualcomm's so called "cockpit" chips, run an automotive-grade operating system for functions such as the vehicle's instrument cluster and infotainment systems.

"GM is a leading technology pioneer in the automotive industry. We are thrilled to be at the heart GM's automotive fleet as the industry embarks on the next generation of mobility with highly advanced digital cockpit, telematics and ADAS," said Nakul Duggal, senior vice president &

general manager, automotive at Qualcomm.

Upcoming GM vehicles will use the 3rd generation of Qualcomm's Snapdragon Automotive Cockpit Platforms. Qualcomm's automotive cockpit platforms are designed to transform in-vehicle experiences, with feature-rich graphics and interfaces.

The chips supplied by Qualcomm support such features as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane keep assist. Qualcomm said that its next generation of automotive chips will even have the ability to integrate Amazon.com's Alexa voice assistant into vehicles if automakers such as GM chose to enable the feature.

Qualcomm's platform is powered by the company's Snapdragon processor and supports higher levels of compute power necessary for advanced AI-powered capabilities for next generation vehicles. 

The AI-powered experiences include in-car virtual assistance, as well as cutting-edge technologies for rich visual experiences and immersive audio. It also supports natural interactions between the vehicle and driver.

Qualcomm Technologies has worked with GM in the past to supply advanced communication solutions for GM's connected car applications, including safety and diagnostics such as GM's On-Star, which was first offered on select 1997 GM models.

GM also worked with Qualcomm Technologies for "cellular vehicle-to-everything" (C-V2X) communications, which was launched with the popular Buick GL8 minivan for the China market.

"Qualcomm Technologies and General Motors have a strong track record of delivering innovative solutions to our customers," said Dan Nicholson, GM Vice President Global Electrification, Controls, Software and Electronics. "Bolstering our relationship is key to leading the industry through a time of unprecedented growth in vehicle and infrastructure technology."

Qualcomm is a leading wireless technology innovator and the driving force behind the expansion of 5G cellular technology. The company's core technologies were used to connect the first cell phones to the internet.

Outside of the GM partnership, Qualcomm developed its own driver-assistance computer called "Snapdragon Ride". The company said its processor will debut in a production vehicle in 2022, but did not name the automaker. Snapdragon Ride is robust enough to support self-driving functions in some vehicles.

The Snapdragon Ride Platform is based on the Snapdragon family of automotive SoCs and is built on scalable and modular high-performance multi-core CPUs. The platform also utilizes energy efficient AI and computer vision (CV) engines, as well a GPU. 

Qualcomm's push into the automotive sector comes as more vehicles are being equipped with connectivity features and automated driving functions.

The company is also working on C-V2X technology in a pilot with automaker Audi in Virginia, which allows vehicles to communicate with infrastructure, such as traffic signals, road signs as well as other nearby vehicles.

C-V2X communications technology includes Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Roadside Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) communication without requiring a cellular network, or cellular service plan. 

The C-V2X direct communications technology has already been integrated into Qualcomm's newest 4G and 5G automotive platforms. 

Qualcomm is also testing CV2-X technology in Hawaii in another pilot with Applied Information Inc announced in early August. 

For the pilot, the C-V2X technology is being integrated into 34 traffic signals along the high-traffic Nimitz Corridor in Honolulu. Alos participating in the project is the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) and the University of Hawaii College of Engineering. 

FutureCar Staff