Cariad, the Volkswagen Group’s software company, has announced that it will use Qualcomm Technologies to supply system-on-chips (SoCs) for its software platform, designed to enable assisted and automated driving functions up to Level 4. The SoCs from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride Platform portfolio will form an important hardware component in Cariad’s standardized and scalable compute platform, set to be deployed in the VW Group’s vehicles from the middle of the decade.
“The connected and automated car of the future is a high-performance computer on wheels. Behind it lies enormously complex computing power,” said Cariad CEO Dirk Hilgenberg. “With our automated driving solutions, we are striving to let customers take their hands off the steering wheel in the future. Our software and Qualcomm Technologies’ high-performance SoCs are the perfect match to bring this new automotive experience to customers around the world.”
“We look forward to supporting Cariad and its suppliers to deliver scalable and secure automated driving functions for Volkswagen Group vehicles through their selection of our open and programmable Snapdragon Ride Platforms,” added Nakul Duggal, senior vice president and GM, automotive, Qualcomm Technologies. “As the amount of innovation and complexities increase, strong collaborations such as ours with Cariad are a necessity to not only address aggressive time-to-market goals, but to deliver safe and reliable automated driving experiences for all.”
The selection of Qualcomm Technologies is the first of its kind for Cariad, allowing it to define which high-performance computer chips are used for its platform and match them with its own software requirements.
“Finding the best balance between scalability, costs and performance was one of our biggest challenges for the design of our new High Performance Compute platform,” explained Klaus Hofmockel, SVP, Hardware Development, Cariad. “Qualcomm Technologies’ fully scalable SoC line-up delivers very efficient compute performance in combination with energy efficiency and also cost-effectiveness.”
Interested in Cariad? Click here to read an interview with Stefan Sicklinger, responsible for intelligent data collection at VW Group’s CARIAD, on the organization’s Big Loop data aggregation system, first published in the April 2022 issue of Autonomous Vehicle International