At the beginning of November, Qualcomm, through Snapdragon, its subsidiary in charge of mobile platforms, and Renault sealed an alliance to bring a little more connectivity to the future cars of the French manufacturer. An important change in the perception that drivers will have of their vehicle and what it can bring them on a day-to-day basis.
At the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii last week, Tech&Co sat down with Don McGuire, chief marketing officer of parent company Qualcomm, about the merger between the two industry players that one might think are light years apart. “We have put $30 billion on the table to develop our automotive chips and work in collaboration with manufacturers like Renault,” he recalls.
A smartphone on wheels
Along with the French equipment manufacturer, there are also big names in the automotive industry such as General Motor, Mercedes-Benz or even Stellantis (Fiat-Chrysler-PSA in particular) and other emerging Chinese groups. Collaborations that will take many forms, but all of them aim to change the approach to the car, for drivers, passengers and businesses alike, with more connected, intuitive interactions and more possibilities within the electric car.
Cars have become authentic smartphones on wheels, even on PCs”, sums up the American.
“We want to do everything with it like with our phone. It is one more center of our day to day and soon everything will be able to be done from inside our car”.
Qualcomm has already announced an investment in Ampere, Renault’s arm dedicated to electricity and software. This will be through Snapdragon, which will equip EVs with its Snapdragon Digital Chassis solution. This set of features and services will be tailored to the needs of the hexagonal group and should “play a pivotal role” in their upcoming products. Therefore, in the near future, a fully digital cockpit under Android, better connectivity and better assisted driving systems are expected in Renault cars.
A digital cockpit to have everything in view
The implementation of the connected inside the car will bring great changes, whether for the exterior with multiple sensors to position itself in its environment, security with possible alerts in case of mechanical problems, information display or reinforced uses. “It’s really nice to see the growing automotive enthusiasm for Snapdragon platforms,” said the Qualcomm executive. “The automotive industry is arguably one of the most digitally transformed industries.”
With the incorporation of a powerful Snapdragon chip in the electronic systems, Don McGuire sees multiple advances for users: the display of information on the windshield under the driver’s eyes so that they do not lose sight of the road. This could also refer to the trip, the data that is normally indicated on the dashboard (speed, rpm, oil level, etc.), the applications to start (music, maps, messages, services, etc.), but also the calls starters to take or just adjust. your interior comfort (temperature, seat position, etc.). All in a digital, tactile and scalable board according to your needs.
“Our solution will be adaptable to each manufacturer, and they will be able to carry out their software updates remotely. This even depends on a particular vehicle type or its buyers. It will change the relationship between the brand and the driver, because they will no longer be the intermediary distributor in the follow-up,” predicts Don McGuire. “Renault, like the others, will reinvent their relationships with their customers thanks to this.”
Changing the relationship between the brand and the driver
The arrival of connectivity is outlined, therefore, as a reversal, he adds. Because this will allow vehicles to reinforce their uses with many more possibilities through the touch screen and the voice assistance that accompanies it, but also offer entertainment to passengers or be able to control the connected home from your vehicle. The purchase of a car should no longer be done with the sole logic of longevity, according to Don McGuire, but based on the services you want and when you want them.
“You’ll be able to just download them through software, getting cloud features, one of the cornerstones of the Snapdragon Digital Chassis. It will change how you buy a car, how you manage a car, and how long you keep it. Maintain that,” he said. “Between owners of Fiat or Jeep, who belong to the same group (Stellantis, editor’s note), the clients are different as well as the needs. Our platform will make it much easier and faster to customize offers.”
Bringing intelligence to the electric car experience is Qualcomm’s primary goal and Renault’s goal to excel. And the technological contribution could be much greater than simple functions for the vehicle and driving.
The sensors will thus be able to detect if the person behind the wheel shows signs of fatigue, with less direct attention to the road, focusing their eyes or recording the movements of the vehicle, to request help with precise geolocation in the event. of an accident and even to locate cars relative to each other, also in relation to pedestrians. “Everything is aimed at making driving safer and more autonomous. And we will be there to achieve it. That is why this alliance with Renault is important”, concludes Don McGuire, who does not anticipate the arrival of the first cars equipped with Snapdragon technology. before the beginning of 2024.
Source: BFM TV
