With Assist From BMW, Qualcomm’s ADAS Platforms Ready for Takeoff

The U.S. chipmaker worked with the German automaker in developing its Snapdragon Ride platform that ultimately will be made available in four performance versions up to Level 3 autonomy.

David Zoia, Senior Contributing Editor

January 28, 2025

3 Min Read
Neue Klasse vehicles first recipients of Snapdragon Ride software platform co-developed by BMW and Qualcomm.

LAS VEGAS – Qualcomm, a relative newcomer to the highly fragmented market for advanced driver-assistance system technology, appears to be gaining traction with its Snapdragon Ride software platform – most notably with a low-cost system that combines cockpit and ADAS functionality in a single SoC.

Ride combines Qualcomm’s latest-generation perception stack with automated-driving software developed with BMW. It will be available on BMW’s Neue Klasse vehicles, beginning with the iX3 model later this year, and Qualcomm is making the co-developed platform available to other automakers as well. The technology is targeted for production vehicles in more than 60 countries, Qualcomm says.

The U.S.-based chipmaker ultimately will offer four versions of Snapdragon Ride. Its entry-level Assist system provides Level 2 functionality (eyes-on, hands-on) for highway and some urban driving and functions with a single vision sensor. It’s available as a turnkey solution that offers automakers basic ADAS capability without significant customization opportunities.

A step up is Qualcomm’s Pilot software that is similar to what BMW will deploy. It delivers Level 2-plus capability (eyes-on, hands-off) and functions with inputs from five to seven sensors (camera, radar), including a driver monitor camera, and offers automakers more options to customize functionality for their brands.

Planned for release in 2027 are two higher levels of Ride based on Qualcomm’s more powerful Snapdragon Elite line of chips launched in October. The Pilot Plus technology is a Level 2-plus system that takes feeds from 11 camera and radar sensors that provide road data at a distance up to nearly 1,000 ft. (300 m). The premium Pilot Max promises Level 3 driving (eyes-off, hands-off) that will incorporate up to 12 sensors, including an optional forward-facing lidar.

Pilot Max also makes use of Agentic AI, meaning it will be able to perform tasks independently, learn from its experiences and adapt to changing situations. An example might be the vehicle automatically avoiding a known pothole on a frequently traveled route.

All the Ride systems have crowd-sourced 3D mapping data available (provided by Qualcomm ecosystem partner Mapbox) but can function solely off inputs from the cameras and other sensors, if automakers prefer to forgo the extra layer of precision.

Of particular note is ground being made with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride Flex platform, which combines cockpit and ADAS functionality on one chip. It was demonstrated flawlessly in early January at CES 2025 here along with vehicles equipped with the Pilot system and the still-in-development Pilot Max automated-driving stack.

Ride Flex appears to be winning applications, particularly in China and emerging markets such as India, where it’s relatively low-cost, but the company also says it is beginning to draw interest in the more mature European and U.S. markets. Qualcomm officials say automakers can save 25%-50% with Flex compared with the cost of employing two distinct SoCs to operate the digital cockpit and control ADAS functionality individually.

Although the industry has been cautious when it comes to embedding critical ADAS operations on the same chip as cockpit controls, insiders believe Qualcomm successfully has demonstrated Flex is safe and say automakers rapidly are warming up to the concept of a single SOC for cockpit and ADAS management. They predict the cost advantages ultimately will make the Flex platform – or similar solutions – the standard for entry-level vehicles even in mature markets, and they expect Flex to reach a global-application production scale by the end of this year.

“We believe this platform should become the de facto choice for a lot of solutions,” says Rajat Sagar, vice president of Autonomous Driving Products.

Among the wins for Qualcomm is a collaboration with Hyundai Mobis announced at CES that will see the Snapdragon Ride Flex SOCs and automated-driving stack combined with the Korean supplier’s software controlling advanced cockpit features, instrument clusters and driving and parking solutions.

About the Author

David Zoia

Senior Contributing Editor

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