At CES 2025 today, Qualcomm Technologies demonstrated how it aims to lead the charge toward software-defined vehicles with the Snapdragon Digital Chassis by offering cutting-edge solutions and technologies like generative AI to revolutionize the driving experience. Company execs announced strategic partnerships with global vehicle OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to create smarter, more intuitive, and safer vehicle experiences.

The announcements follow the company’s 2024 Snapdragon Summit held in October, where it unveiled its most powerful automotive platforms. Powered by Oryon, the company’s fastest CPU is now tailored for automotive safety and reliability, and the “Elite tier” Snapdragon Digital Chassis platforms are designed to bring next-generation power and intelligence to SDVs (software-defined vehicles).

The company’s CEO Cristiano Amon kicked off the Snapdragon Summit by mentioning the new Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Ride Elite offerings, hoping to quickly add new as well as existing customers like General Motors, Rivian, BMW, Ford, and Sony Honda Mobility to the new technology’s customer list.

“With our strongest performing compute, graphics, and AI capabilities, coupled with industry-leading power efficiency and cutting-edge software enablement for digital cockpits and automated driving, these new elite Snapdragon automotive platforms address the industry’s needs for higher compute levels, empowering automakers to redefine automotive experiences for their customers,” said Nakul Duggal, Group Manager, Automotive, Industrial, and Cloud, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

At CES, woven through all the announcements was how Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis is gaining traction with global automakers, highlighted by applications with three new and electric automakers highlighted.

 

Leapmotor B10

Leapmotor and Qualcomm announced today a strengthening of their ongoing technology collaboration, in this case, to introduce intelligent cockpit and driving capabilities to the new Leapmotor B10. The C-segment SUV is built on Leapmotor’s LEAP 3.5 architecture designed to support cutting-edge applications for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and customizable digital cockpits.

It is equipped with a next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform and is one of the world’s first vehicles powered by the Snapdragon Ride Platform. With both Snapdragon Cockpit and Ride Platforms, key solutions of the Snapdragon Digital Chassis, the B10 is equipped to deliver intelligent and personalized driving experiences to users, maximize intelligent cockpit and intelligent driving efficiency, and lay a solid foundation for the evolution toward cockpit-driving controller integration.

“The new Leapmotor B-series is an important part of our globalization strategy and [I’m] proud to see these vehicles powered by Leapmotor’s latest LEAP 3.5 architecture, and intelligent technology innovations like Snapdragon Cockpit and Ride Platforms from Qualcomm Technologies,” said Jiangming Zhu, Founder and Chairman of Leapmotor. “The realization of cockpit-driving integration at the controller level will bring high efficiency, compatibility, and ecosystem consistency between the vehicle systems, thus significantly improving the intelligent driving experience of the vehicle.”

The B10 represents the first of many upcoming models that will be launched as a part of Leapmotor’s B- series designed specifically for global markets. In partnership with Stellantis, Leapmotor aims to make vehicles like the B10 affordable and accessible to consumers beyond Greater China.

“We are proud to support Leapmotor in developing this global model, which delivers digital experiences that surpass expectations for users in various markets around the world,” said Duggal. “Together, we are driving the future evolution of vehicle electrical/electronic (E/E) architecture.”

The Snapdragon Ride Platform is designed to deliver exceptional performance and unique advantages to next-generation vehicles, featuring high-performance, power-efficient hardware and industry-leading AI technologies. This platform is meticulously engineered with a seamless blend of hardware and software solutions to support the powerful compute functions required for enhanced vehicle perception, enabling advanced planning and action to support safer driving experiences.

The B10’s intelligent driving solution combines best-in-class lidar with the Snapdragon Ride Platform to offer Highway and Urban Navigate on Autopilot, and it supports the execution of end-to-end large language models. With the Snapdragon platform, the B10 system can analyze high-definition maps and complex road conditions in real-time, achieve deep fusion of multi-sensor data, and continuously evolve to adapt to road environments.

The latest generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform is intended to give the B10 a premium experience. It uses an advanced voice assistant that leverages large models in the cloud to make for a cockpit that’s smarter, more humanized, and more convenient.

Based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in China, Zhu founded Leapmotor to be a technology-based company, designing and producing all of the core systems and components for its vehicles in-house. Its proportion of self-development accounts for 60% of the vehicle cost. It has resulted in the self-proclaimed industry’s first 8-in-1 electric drive system, mass-produced CTC (cell-to-chassis) technology, and “four domain integration” centralized integrated electronic and electrical architecture.

 

Mahindra’s first ‘electric origin’ SUVs

A technology collaboration announced today with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. aims to revolutionize the future of EVs in India. The OEM’s first “electric origin” sports utility vehicles, the BE 6 and XEV 9e, unveiled in November mark the first deployment of next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform and Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF in the Indian market.

The long-term engineering collaboration between Mahindra and Qualcomm resulted in one of the industry’s fastest electric-origin SUV development timelines, going from concept to launch in just 3 yr. Their Mahindra Artificial Intelligence Architecture (MAIA) combined with Qualcomm technologies are meant to help meet the growing demand for connected, feature-rich, and future-ready EVs. The vehicles were developed for a broad range of Indian consumers to help ensure that cutting-edge technology is accessible to nearly everyone.

The MAIA and next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform leverage advanced neural engines, cloud services, and connected car technologies for over 60 entertainment apps and real-time OTA updates to ensure that the BE 6 and XEV 9e offer a modern, intuitive, and dynamic driving experience to enable premium, feature-rich cockpit experiences found in higher-priced segments.

“Our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies integrates advanced Snapdragon Digital Chassis technology into the BE 6 and XUV 9e, setting a new benchmark for connected, AI-driven driving experiences,” said R Velusamy, President – Automotive Product Development, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., and Joint Managing Director, Mahindra Electric Automobile Ltd. “Powered by our Mahindra Artificial Intelligence Architecture, these vehicles offer a personalized driving experience that is both state-of-the-art and accessible to all.”

“By integrating our Snapdragon Digital Chassis solutions into Mahindra’s new EV SUVs, we are not only delivering premium, AI-driven cockpit experiences but also enabling transformative innovation that is specifically tailored to the unique market dynamics of India,” added Duggal.

At the core of the collaboration is the next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform designed to power three large 12.3-in infotainment screens, augmented reality displays, and AI-driven in-car experiences. An advanced AI processing unit is tailored to meet the unique convenience and personalization of digital cockpit experience needs and preferences of Indian drivers.

Equipped with high-performance computing capabilities including over 230,000 DMIPS (Dhrystone Million Instructions Per Second), the platform helps ensure a smooth and efficient operation for in-car entertainment and vehicle management. This means faster response times, smoother navigation, and a more intuitive user interface.

A Qualcomm Adreno GPU powers the platform’s visuals, multi-screen interactivity, intelligent voice control, and support for high-definition video formats. This allows passengers to enjoy high-quality entertainment and easy connectivity, while drivers benefit from clear, real-time information and intuitive controls.

The connectivity is enabled by a Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF solution, enhancing safety and reliability by delivering real-time, mission-critical data. It unlocks advanced features such as over-the-air (OTA) software updates, personalized entertainment, and a range of services tailored to meet the needs and price points of Indian consumers.

 

Royal Enfield’s Flying Flea

After debuting in Milan at the EICMA motorcycle show in November, the new Flying Flea EV brand from Royal Enfield today announced a collaboration to integrate Qualcomm’s Snapdragon QWM2290 SoC and Snapdragon Car-to-Cloud Platform so its upcoming line of motorcycles available worldwide stands out as one of the first two-wheeler platforms to integrate connected services.

“Flying Flea is more than a new brand from Royal Enfield; it is a whole new approach in which we are deeply invested in terms of ground-breaking infrastructure, authentic design philosophy, and modern technology,” said Mario Alvisi, Chief Growth Officer, Electric Vehicles, Royal Enfield. “While all aspects of our connected electric motorcycles have been developed in-house by our dedicated technical team, our work with Qualcomm Technologies is a significant step in our effort to build advanced EV technology and create a unique and differentiated product experience in the global electric mobility space.”

Flying Flea is focused on delivering one of the industry’s best two-wheel experiences by developing the motorcycle’s hardware and software from the ground up. The QMW2290 SoC powers the core vehicle control unit running an in-house operating system developed by Flying Flea that enables the motorcycle to manage all aspects of the vehicle and ride experience through an interactive “true round” TFT cluster.

“The Snapdragon QWM2290 SoC for two-wheelers is enabling a new era of connected mobility by bringing connectivity, intelligence, and a safety focus to your biking experience,” added Jeff Arnold, Vice President of Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

The chip allows users to maximize the cluster’s potential and develop a simple and intuitive UI (user interface) and UX (user experience), including a dedicated Voice Assist button. Combined with Snapdragon Car-to-Cloud, the SoC gives the Flying Flea the ability to maintain communication between rider and machine through a secure multi-modal interaction, both on and off the motorcycle, with 4G, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity.

“Connected services are fundamentally transforming the two-wheeler and micromobility markets, providing riders with real-time diagnostics, advanced navigation, and personalized ride settings—all of which enhance the safety and convenience of their journey,” said Nimish Shrivastava, Senior Director of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies.

The motorcycle has five pre-set ride modes but allows customized ride-mode combinations based on rider requirements and terrain. The system also recognizes and enables a mobile phone as a smart key to unlock and start the vehicle.