BERLIN, Jan 8 (Reuters) – Volkswagen plans a long-term supply deal with U.S. chip designer Qualcomm to deliver infotainment technology for the German carmaker’s new software platform.
Qualcomm will provide high-performance system-on-chips for infotainment capabilities starting in 2027, Volkswagen said.
The companies have signed a letter of intent to make Qualcomm the primary tech provider for the platform, which Volkswagen is developing with U.S. partner Rivian.
Volkswagen and Rivian are carrying out winter tests on the software platform, with $1 billion in Volkswagen investment dependent on completion of technological milestones this year.
The joint venture is a key part of Volkswagen’s effort to catch up with rivals such as BYD and Tesla, with the first of its cars using software from the partnership set to launch in 2027, starting with the electric ID.Every1.
The new ‘software-defined vehicles’ are controlled by central computers and rely on high-performance chips.
(Reporting by Rachel More; Editing by Alexander Smith)
