Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon Ride Flex, Chip for Electric Car Driving Assistance

JAKARTA - Mobile chip maker Qualcomm Technologies Inc. on Wednesday, January 4 launched a processor chip for cars called Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC. The chip handles cockpit and driving assistance functions, including entertainment features.

According to Nakul Duggal, Qualcomm's head of automotive, previously these functions were handled on a different chip. Now combining them can help lower costs,

“Obviously you reduce the number of physical boxes. So it's down to one box. You reduce the amount of memory you need. The extra external components you need, those come down," Duggal told Reuters.

Qualcomm has continued to build its auto business in recent years and in September it said its auto business "pipeline" had increased to $30 billion.

With electric vehicles and increased autonomous features in cars, the number of chips used by automakers is soaring and the automotive market has become a key growth area for chip makers.

Duggal said automotive customers are already testing the new chip and it will be commercially available in the first half of next year.