After recently introducing a new series of Qualcomm processors, Qualcomm announced a partnership with Daimler for more connected cars/vehicles. The partnership will include Qualcomm 3G/4G wireless connectivity, wireless charging for in-vehicle devices and Qualcomm Halo Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging (WEVC) technology for wireless charging of Daimler electric cars/trucks.
Daimler brands include Mercedes-Benz and Smart Cars as well as Daimler trucks which is currently testing self-driving technology. 3G/4G LTE is used for mapping, connections to the cloud and telematics that are important for safety features and autonomous driving.
Qualcomm Technologies is collaborating with Daimler using Wireless Power Transfer 2.0 high performance program with Qualcomm Halo to allow Daimler customers to charge their electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid EVs, wirelessly, without plugging them into a charger.
For smartphone and tablets, Qualcomm WiPower technology will allow Daimler customers with portable electronic devices such as smartphones or tablets to charge them wirelessly inside their cars.
The new release states that “the companies plan to combine automotive expertise to advance the connected car industry by delivering intelligently connected vehicles of the future that drive emission-free.”
On May 27, Qualcomm announced new chipsets for the Internet of Things including connected cars. The company touted the processors it offers to power in-car modems, HD infotainment units, DSRC and wireless charging for electric cars.
The Qualcomm integrated hardware and software platform, built for automotive, provides an array of navigational and multimedia features and uses a Snapdragon processor and modem, GNSS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with pre-integrated support for QNX and Android operating systems.
Mercedes-Benz is testing a self-driving car in Northern California.