BMW aims to go beyond Level 3 hands-free driving capability from 2025.
BMW and Qualcomm will offer their jointly developed autonomous-driving platform to other automakers after it appears in BMW cars from 2025 onwards, the two companies said.
The partners said last November that BMW would use the Snapdragon Ride automated driving platform, which has been developed with the help of autonomous driving software specialist Arriver, which Qualcomm acquired last year as part of its purchase of Veoneer. The platform is underpinned by chips supplied by Qualcomm.
After the platform is used in BMW vehicles from the middle of the decade, it will be offered to other automakers and tier one suppliers, Nakul Duggal, head of automotive for Qualcomm Technologies, told journalists on a call.
“The aim is to have an open platform to adapt as necessary to various vehicle types and various geographies,” Duggal said.
BMW’s Automated Drive suite of technology will switch to using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride platform for vehicles on its New Class platform.
This platform, developed with Mobileye, is currently being rolled first in the iX electric SUV and the imminent 7-Series replacement and will gradually BMW’s other platforms, said Nicolai Martin, BMW's head of driving experience.
The New Class electric-first platform will replace BMW's current architecture lineup, the UKL small platform used for BMW compact cars and the Mini brand, and the CLAR platform which is used for bigger BMWs.
The reason for offering it to other automakers and suppliers is to reduce costs. “We are working on a highly efficient setup for better profitability for all partners,” Martin said.
BMW and Qualcomm have both said that automakers should not develop unique software systems that cannot be shared.
“The idea is to find economies of scale to allow automakers to quickly scale-up advancements that if you tried to implement by yourself [would need] a significant amount of investment,” Duggal said. He added that developing closed systems also increased the time to market.
The BMW/Qualcomm/Arriver package would represent a “bookshelf” that would allow customers to select what they need and also return data back to the “depository” to improve the overall quality of the product, Duggal said.
BMW will roll-out Level 3 hands-free driving capability with the new 7-Series sedan, but the new system from 2025 will improve that capability, Martin said.
“We will reuse the IP [intellectual property] we created in the current generation for base to enhance the functionality and create an even better product,” he said.
Martin said for example the new Level 3 system could expand the so-called operational design domain (ODD) for hands-free use to include tunnels, low temperature driving, night driving and additional roads other than highways.
Germany last year approved Mercedes-Benz's Level 3 Drive Pilot for use on highways at speed of up to 60 kph (37 mph)
The new automated driving hardware and software would roll out on midsize vehicles on the New Class platform, Martin said.
BMW would likely offer two options, with cars on a Level 3 capability given an upgraded sensor package including “additional lidars” while the standard package would offer Level 2 Plus with “address to address capability” available as an over-the-air update.
Level 2 Plus is close to hands-off driving but requires the driver to be in control of the vehicle at all times, while Level 3 hands control and legal responsibility to the vehicle and vehicle manufacturer.
The driver is warned when they need to take back control.
