Volkswagen’s software subsidiary CARIAD has picked Qualcomm Technologies to supply system-on-chips (SoCs) for Volkswagen’s software platform designed to enable assisted and automated driving functions up to Level 4.

Qualcomm Technologies will supply Snapdragon Ride SoCs for Volkswagen’s unified scalable software platform which is scheduled for the group’s vehicles by the middle of this decade.

According to CARIAD, tailored SoCs are crucial to the company’s ability to deliver competitive automated driving functions to all Volkswagen Group passenger car brands.

The selection of Qualcomm Technologies is intended to allow CARIAD to define which high-performance computer chips are used for its platform and match them with its own software requirements.

Volkswagen last year presented its NEW AUTO strategy, aimed at leading the Group into an autonomous and sustainable mobility future. The group plans to span everything from manufacturing and selling vehicles, to producing battery cells and offering energy services, to providing mobility solutions and developing and continuously updating software.

“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,” said Nakul Duggal, senior vice president & GM, automotive, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “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.”

“We are proud to be supporting CARIAD with Snapdragon Ride Platforms to support NCAP, active safety, to Level 4, self-driving, functionality, across the Volkswagen Group vehicles launching from the middle of the decade,” said Enrico Salvatori, SVP & President Qualcomm Europe/MEA, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

“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”, said Klaus Hofmockel, Senior Vice President Hardware Development at CARIAD. “Qualcomm Technologies’ fully scalable SoC lineup delivers very efficient compute performance in combination with energy efficiency and also cost-effectiveness.”