Driving the commercialisation of C-V2X technology

Tier-1 suppliers, cellular module manufacturers, software solution providers and system integrators have expressed their support for the deployment of C-V2X technology in upcoming production vehicles and roadside units (RSU) starting in 2019. Qualcomm Technologies is currently conducting C-V2X field validations working with car manufacturers and automotive ecosystem participants in Germany, France, Korea, China, Japan and the U.S.

“The continued advancement of cellular technologies into 5G is a necessary part of connected, cooperative and autonomous vehicles that will be able to support BMW Group´s vision of the car of the future,” said Maik Böres Head of Future Mobility Team. “As our cities and lives continue to become more connected, C-V2X is a natural solution to both deliver direct and network-based communications to fulfil a growing set of safety and informational use cases respectively, and Qualcomm Technologies' announcement reflects the automotive industry's acceleration to commercialise C-V2X technology with meaningful progress toward vehicle integration starting in 2019.”

Automotive ecosystem participants interested in delivering next generation products incorporating C-V2X technology using Qualcomm Technologies’ solutions include Tier-1 suppliers LG Electronics, Continental, Ficosa-Panasonic, Lear and Valeo, as well as cellular module manufacturers Gemalto, LG Innotek, Quectel, Sierra Wireless, Telit, WNC and ZTE. Qualcomm Technologies is also working with V2X software stack and application providers Cohda Wireless, Commsignia and Savari, along with system integrators Sasken and Thundersoft, to expedite C-V2X commercialisation by helping the automotive ecosystem to take advantage of the industry’s decade-long investment in ITS software and standardised protocols such as ETSI-ITS, IEEE WAVE and SAE.

C-V2X is designed to be globally compatible with 5G and complement other Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensors, such as cameras, radar and LIDAR. C-V2X direct communication mode is designed to offer vehicles low latency communications for Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Roadside Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) without the involvement of a cellular network, or cellular network subscription, by operating on designated and harmonised 5.9GHz ITS spectrum.

C-V2X continues to gain worldwide support in the automotive industry and broader transportation ecosystem, with trials taking place across the globe. The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), an industry organisation which supports C-V2X, currently has over 70 members including automakers, Tier-1 suppliers, mobile operators, semiconductor companies, test equipment vendors, telecom suppliers, traffic signal suppliers and road operators.

Automakers planning to integrate V2X solutions also benefit from the cost-effectiveness of C-V2X. Analysis from technology consulting firm, P3 North America, found that a fully integrated system with C-V2X integrated with existing LTE-based telematics units is the most cost-effective solution amongst V2X implementations.

The 9150 C-V2X chipset solution features improved direct communication range, reliability and latency in the face of congested roadways. With a strong evolution path in 3GPP to 5G New Radio (NR), Qualcomm Technologies continues to invest in the C-V2X roadmap to offer new and complementary capabilities. To meet automakers’ production needs, the 9150 C-V2X chipset solution is planned to be commercially available in the second half of 2018 with select suppliers expected to launch solutions based on the 9150 C-V2X chipset solution shortly thereafter.

“With its superior performance and strong synergy with telematics, C-V2X is poised to offer significant improvements in road safety compared to previous technologies and support future autonomous vehicles, while complementing Qualcomm Technologies’ additional automotive offerings, including high-precision GNSS location, computer vision, compute and machine learning platforms, and sensor fusion,” said Nakul Duggal, vice president of product management, Qualcomm Technologies. “We are pleased to work with carmakers and this ecosystem of leading automotive suppliers in accelerating the commercialisation of the C-V2X direct communications using the 9150 C-V2X chipset solution into vehicles as soon as next year.”