Volkswagen Opts For Snapdragon for Next-generation Infotainment and Telematics Systems

snapdragon_820aQualcomm has revealed that its chipsets will be integrated in the next-generation of Volkswagen vehicles. The chipsets include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820A processor for advanced infotainment systems, and the Snapdragon X12 and X5 LTE modems, for connected car and telematics systems.

Volkswagen vehicles featuring the Snapdragon 820A processor are expected to be available in 2019, while vehicles using the Snapdragon X12 and X5 LTE modems are expected to arrive next year.

“As we look at the future of the automotive industry, we see mobile technologies at its core, and connectivity as its foundation” said Dr. Volkmar Tanneberger, head of electrical and electronic development for Volkswagen. “Utilizing Qualcomm Technologies’ expertise and leadership in mobile technologies, we look forward to having our next generation of automobiles feature highly advanced telematics and infotainment systems that support superior connectivity for the security and safety of our consumers, as well as high bandwidth support for autonomy and multi-media capabilities.”

Qualcomm has also announced its participation in the Connected Vehicle to Everything of Tomorrow (ConVeX), which it has formed in partnership with Audi, Ericsson, SWARCO Traffic Systems and the University of Kaiserslautern.

The ConVeX consortium will carry out a Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) trial based upon the 3rd Generation Partnership Project’s (3GPP) Release 14, which includes Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication. The trial is expected to focus on Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) direct communication, as well as Vehicle-to-Network (V2N) wide area communications.

ConVeX will be executed by a cross-industry consortium that brings diverse expertise to the trial. It will be co-funded by the participating organizations and the German Federal Ministry of Transportation and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI).

The goal of the trial is to demonstrate the benefits of using a unified C-V2X connectivity platform, as defined by 3GPP Release 14, for the connected vehicle of tomorrow, as well as to showcase C-V2X range, reliability and latency advantage for real-time V2X communications.

Additionally, the trial aims to highlight new use cases that could help support traffic flow optimization, improve safety and pave the path to automated driving. ConVeX plans to use the results of the trial to inform regulators, provide inputs to ongoing global standardization work, and shape a path for further development and future evolution of V2X cellular technology, which includes an evolutionary transition towards 5G New Radio (NR), the new global standard for 5G being defined in 3GPP.

ConVeX believes that V2X technologies will play a key role in advancing the vision of autonomous vehicles. While advancements in Radar, Lidar, and camera systems bring automated driving a step closer to commercialisation, it notes that these sensors are limited to line-of-sight (LOS) data collection. Sensor fusion with V2X is expected to complement those capabilities and provide 360-degree non-line-of-sight (NLOS) awareness, extending a vehicle’s ability to see and hear further down the road, even at blind intersections or in bad weather conditions. Combined with high-precision Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), V2X technologies are expected to allow vehicles to share information with each other, as well as with infrastructure, and with pedestrians smartphones.

“Digitisation will redefine the properties of the car. Connectivity and autonomous driving are two megatrends to shape tomorrow’s vehicles, but this transformation will go further,” said Alfons Pfaller, head of infotainment development at AUDI. “Data, cloud technology and new business models will be the major drivers of innovation and create an ecosystem around our core product, therefore the key to success is cross-industry collaboration.”