The Volvo Car Group has announced that it will use Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms to power its Google Android Automotive-based infotainment system, set to be deployed in upcoming fully electric cars under the Volvo and Polestar brands.
By leveraging Volvo Cars and technology firm Qualcomm’s in-house research and development competence, the companies say they will improve the overall capability of Volvo’s next-generation infotainment system, making it faster and more responsive.
The Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms is designed to be a central hub for high-performance computing. It is capable of fulfilling highly demanding graphics and audio and artificial intelligence requirements, while having a very low power consumption. This will allow Volvo Cars’ next-generation infotainment system to be more than twice as fast as the predecessors, with graphics generation up to 10 times faster. Simultaneously, the collaboration includes future improvements to be rolled out over the air.
“Our goal is to support Volvo Cars by integrating cutting-edge, scalable and upgradable technology that provides premium experiences today and into the future for their customers,” said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president of Europe/MEA, Qualcomm Europe, Inc. “We are proud of the strong organizational concentration in automotive that we have in Europe, which spans across engineering, services, product marketing and go-to-market.”
Concurrently, Volvo has also announced that it will be making is cars capable of directly integrating with Google Assistant enabled devices. Furthermore, the company has also made it possible to download the YouTube app via Google Play.
“Volvo Car Group was first to introduce Google technology and services in our cars, and we are now looking to be the first to integrate fully with Google Assistant-enabled devices – it is a natural next step in our partnership with Google,” said Henrik Green, chief product officer at Volvo Cars. “This integration allows us to improve the customer experience immensely, because it gives customers the possibility to easily and securely manage their car while at home or on the go, through any personal device that has Google Assistant.”
