Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and BMW Group today introduced Snapdragon Ride Pilot, the companies’ new AD (automated driving) system resulting from a three-year collaborative effort. The system made its global debut today in the all-new iX3, the first production vehicle in BMW’s Neue Klasse, revealed in conjunction with next week’s IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich.

The system has been validated for use in more than 60 countries, with expected expansion to over 100 countries in 2026. Significantly, it is now available to all global automakers and Tier-1 suppliers through Qualcomm Technologies.

“Our collaboration with BMW’s world-class engineering team has been truly transformative, enabling us to build a world-class system that is now available to bring the safety and comfort benefits of automated driving to consumers across all regions and vehicle tiers,” said Nakul Duggal, Group General Manager, Automotive and Industrial & Embedded IoT, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We’re excited to see this system come to life in the BMW iX3, supporting BMW’s vision for intelligent and safe driving, and we anticipate its widespread adoption will drive a new era of innovation and excellence in mobility solutions.”

The development of the Snapdragon Ride AD software stack is the result of a collaboration of over 1400 specialists from locations including Germany, the U.S., Sweden, Romania, and the Czech Republic (home of the BMW AD Test Center). The system is built on Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Ride system-on-chips (SoCs) using the Snapdragon Ride AD software stack co-developed by both companies. It is engineered to meet the highest safety standards and supports AD levels ranging from entry-level NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) to Level 2+ highway and urban NOA (navigation on autopilot) capabilities.

“Together with Qualcomm Technologies, we’ve created a groundbreaking system, which is a significant contribution to the big technological leap we take with our Neue Klasse,” said Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Senior Vice President of Development, Driving Experience, at BMW Group. “This collaboration has enabled us to develop a cutting-edge driver assistance system, setting a new benchmark. Smart, symbiotic, and safe is the core of the BMW philosophy when it comes to ADAS.”

The AD software stack features a perception stack developed by Qualcomm Technologies and a drive policy engine co-developed with BMW. The stack is engineered to enable automakers and Tier-1 suppliers to build scalable solutions with flexibility, cost savings, and fast time-to-market, with their own drive policy or a turnkey platform.

The system uses a camera-based vision stack for object detection, surround view, lane recognition, traffic sign interpretation, parking assistance, driver monitoring, and mapping. Perception performance is enhanced through low-level perception using a “bird-eye-view” architecture and new methods for information extraction from fisheye cameras.

The low-level perception between camera and radar is designed to reduce tracking latency, optimize system performance in active safety scenarios, and detect complex urban intersections. To improve computational efficiency, hardware and software co-design, along with network architecture search, are applied to manage compute resources and memory bandwidth.

Snapdragon Ride Pilot prioritizes safety through a commitment to ISO 26262 ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) and Functional Safety (FuSa) standards, supporting compliance with the latest safety regulations, including NCAP, FMVSS 127, and DCAS. It also addresses ISO 21448 SOTIF (Safety of the Intended Functionality) and incorporates robust cybersecurity measures, featuring multi-layered encryption and threat detection to help safeguard against potential threats.

The system’s advanced context-aware driving uses a balance of rule-based and AI-based models for behavior prediction and behavior planning to help enable safe handling of complex driving scenarios.

Stack development and testing are supported by the data and simulation factory, a key component of Snapdragon Ride, for fast development of automated driving software capable of addressing complex real-world scenarios. This toolchain integrates real-world data with synthetic data generation and AI-based simulations to create a robust and diverse set of driving scenarios, enhancing the training and testing of automotive models.

Snapdragon Ride Pilot supports over-the-air updates and is fully customizable via the Snapdragon Ride SDK, giving automakers the flexibility to tailor solutions across vehicle segments. The software stack leverages fleet data to evolve and enable enhanced safety and comfort over the life of the vehicle.

The iX3 Snapdragon Ride-based ADAS system integrates high-performance SoCs for centralized sensor data processing, advanced computer vision modules for perception, and the Snapdragon Ride Automated Driving software stack co-developed with BMW that includes drive policy and safety guardrails. The system enables advanced capabilities, including contextual lane change and overtaking, initiating maneuvers based on subtle driver cues such as mirror glances or steering nudges; active lane change and highway assistant for hands-free driving on approved road networks; and an ecosystem provided AI-powered slot detection parking assistance and camera-based in-cabin monitoring.

The hardware underpinning the system is controlled by BMW’s “superbrain of automated driving,” a central intelligent computer powered by Snapdragon Ride SoCs, that offers 20 times higher computing power than the previous ADAS generation. The system uses a unified architecture that includes an array of high-definition 8-megapixel and 3-megapixel cameras and radar sensors, enabling 360-degree coverage along with high-definition mapping and precise GNSS localization.

The iX3’s completely new E/E (electrical/electronic) architecture comprises a total of four high-performance superbrains that pool their processing power for not only automated driving but also driving dynamics, infotainment, and basic and comfort-enhancing functions. They also provide the basis for a new software architecture that can be upgraded to incorporate function updates, including for AI-enabled features.

The new digital nervous system consists of a wiring harness divided into four zones. This reduces weight by 30% compared to the technology used previously and allows for around 600 m (1970 ft) less wiring. Digital smart e-fuses replace traditional safety fuses. They enable intelligent power modes for different vehicle states that help to improve the car’s overall efficiency.

The iX3 is also equipped with Qualcomm Technologies’ V2X 200 chipset to support vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications to allow it to “see” and “hear” beyond line-of-sight ADAS sensors, helping reduce collisions through direct communication between the vehicle and infrastructure, pedestrians, and other road users.