The Volkswagen Group has established a partnership with Qualcomm that will see the two companies work together on the development of autonomous driving technologies.
Details of the partnership have not been officially announced by either VW or Qualcomm but German publication Handelsblatt reports that VW will use Qualcomm’s system-on-a-chip that’s been developed specifically for autonomous vehicles. All VW Group brands will use this chip starting in 2026 in a deal that runs through to $3.1 billion and will cost VW approximately $1 billion, the publication states.
Read More: VW’s ID. Buzz-Based Self-Driving Robotaxi Will Differ Significantly From Customer Model
It is understood that VW Group chief executive Herbert Diess visited Qualcomm’s headquarters in San Diego in mid-April to finalize the deal.
Auto News notes that many industry observers had expected VW to partner with Mobileye on its future autonomous driving technology as it has a long, ongoing technology partnership with the company. Other major car manufacturers working with Qualcomm include BMW, General Motors, and Stellantis.
Of course, Volkswagen isn’t working solely with Qualcomm on autonomous vehicles. Instead, it is also working alongside Argo AI and has already partnered with the company to develop an all-autonomous version of the electric ID. Buzz. This vehicle is equipped with cameras, radar, and lidar sensors that provide it with a 360-degree view of its surroundings. Development of the vehicle has been ongoing for quite some time and while recently discussing it, the head of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Carsten Intra, said the autonomous ID. Buzz will be quite different to the vehicle offered to private customers.
Current plans call for the ID. Buzz to be launched as a robotaxi in the German city of Hamburg in 2025 and by 2030, the car manufacturer plans to have autonomous services operating in 50 cities throughout Europe and North America.
