Qualcomm, BMW launches Snapdragon Ride Pilot on the new iX3, with plans to license the driver-assist tech widely

Qualcomm’s driverless tech, co-developed with BMW, is likely to draw licensing interests from various other automakers.

Chief Executive Cristiano Amon told CNBC the rollout will show how the system behaves on public roads and could trigger a run of deals. The move highlights how the US-based chip company is expanding beyond smartphones into cars, one of its rapidly-growing businesses.

Last week, BMW and Qualcomm announced a driving package built on Qualcomm’s semiconductors. The product is called ‘Snapdragon Ride Pilot Automated Driving System’, and it is a driver-assistance feature rather than a fully driverless system. It supports driving hands-free on some roads and can execute lane changes.

It does not make the car fully driverless or autonomous in traffic. The first vehicle to use it will be the BMW iX3. The auto firms say the feature will become available by 2026 in 100 countries.

Qualcomm says it was designed from the start to be licensed to carmakers other than BMW. In a Tuesday interview, Amon said the BMW launch will give shoppers and rivals a clear look at performance.

“Everybody’s been waiting for this moment, including ourselves, because people wanted to see how it performs in the street,” he said. He added that the iX3 will ship with the tech in about 60 countries, creating a large, real-world demo.

“I think what I expect to happen, as OEMs see how it compares and how competitive it is, that’s going to ignite a domino effect” of carmakers looking to integrate this technology.

Amon said the company has “made a lot of progress” in talks with other manufacturers but is “not yet ready to announce” any new partnerships.

The approach fits a broader shift at Qualcomm

The company still makes most of its money from chips installed on smartphones from vendors including Xiaomi and Samsung. But it is pushing into different industries, including PC processors, semiconductors for data centers, and the automotive industry.

The auto unit is a central bet. It generated almost $1 billion by the June quarter while growing 21% since the previous year. Qualcomm has said it expects revenue from the automotive industry to reach $8 billion in 2029. To hit that target, the company is developing technology for many parts of the car.

Its chips could power systems like in-car entertainment and others. On Monday, Qualcomm announced that it partnered with Google Cloud to allow automakers to develop digital assistants of their own.

Analysts say the strategy is to offer a complete stack. “[Qualcomm] are building a whole ecosystem led by software,” said Murtuza Ali, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research. “The main thing is they are a fully integrated solution provider for autonomy, which is what they were lacking.”

Traditional carmakers, especially in Europe, are often seen as behind on software-driven features such as autonomous driving when compared with rivals from China. That gap matters as more models add advanced driver assistance and as brands try to keep customers loyal.

The electric-vehicle market in the US is also shifting

Tesla’s shares have dropped to their 8-year lows in August as buyers chose EVs from a growing set of competitors over the aging lineup sold by CEO Elon Musk’s company, based on information shared with Reuters.

The slide comes as rivals step up incentives during a difficult stretch for the EV industry. According to analysts, the sales of electric vehicles in the US would continue at an increased pace in September and drop later after the expiration of federal tax credits.

Tesla once controlled over 80% of the EV industry in the US. In August, it accounted for 38% of total EV sales, according to early Cox data. It was the first time the company fell below its 40% mark since October 2027. At that time, the company had ramped up the Model 3 production, the first mass-produced car for the market. Even in Europe, BMW and Mercedes are challenging Tesla’s market share, as reported earlier by Cryptopolitan.

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