Qualcomm and Google Deepen Partnership to Power Agentic AI in Software-Defined Vehicles

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Google have significantly broadened their long-standing partnership, reinforcing their shared ambition to fast-track the development of software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and agentic AI-driven automotive experiences.

The expanded collaboration unites Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis platforms with Google’s sophisticated automotive software ecosystem to deliver highly secure, scalable, and intelligent mobility solutions for vehicles across global markets.

This move highlights a clear strategic intent from both technology leaders to influence the next phase of intelligent transportation, as modern vehicles increasingly evolve into AI-powered, software-centric platforms rather than purely mechanical machines.

Advancing Intelligent Mobility Through Agentic AI

Cloud-Connected, AI-Driven Vehicles

Building on the Gemini Enterprise for automotive initiative introduced in 2025, Qualcomm and Google are presenting a new generation of AI-powered automotive solutions at CES 2026. These solutions rely on a hybrid system architecture that seamlessly integrates on-device AI processing with cloud-based intelligence.

This design enables vehicles to remain continuously connected, allowing real-time data processing, rapid updates, and advanced personalisation. Drivers benefit from intelligent voice-led interactions, multimodal interfaces, and proactive digital assistants capable of adapting to individual preferences and driving conditions.

Enhanced Safety and Adaptive In-Car Experiences

For end users, the partnership translates into vehicles that become smarter over time. By applying agentic AI, cars can interpret context, anticipate driver needs, and deliver automated responses across navigation, infotainment, and vehicle control systems. This intelligence enhances road safety, improves comfort, and simplifies daily driving tasks.

Unified Reference Platform to Accelerate Automotive Innovation

Simplifying Development for Automakers

To reduce engineering complexity and shorten production cycles, Qualcomm and Google are developing a unified reference platform tailored for automakers. This platform aligns Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms with Google’s Android Automotive OS (AAOS) development roadmap, starting with Android 17.

This close alignment between hardware and software allows manufacturers to accelerate prototyping, lower development costs, and bring refined in-vehicle experiences to market more efficiently.

Foundation for Next-Generation Infotainment

The reference platform also supports the creation of next-generation in-vehicle infotainment systems. Automakers gain access to consistent software performance, smoother system updates, and a unified user experience across different vehicle models and regions.

Scaling Software-Defined Vehicles Worldwide

Qualcomm’s Role as Scaling Partner

Google and Qualcomm are jointly working to expand the reach of AAOS within software-defined vehicle architectures. This approach combines powerful on-device software with cloud-based development environments. As the primary scaling partner, Qualcomm delivers fully optimised, pre-integrated software solutions through its Snapdragon Digital Chassis platforms.

This strategy significantly reduces time-to-market for automakers while maintaining high performance, reliability, and scalability.

Support Across Multiple Vehicle Domains

The scalable architecture supports a wide range of vehicle systems, including:

• Digital instrument clusters with integrated safety functions

• Precise and frequent over-the-air (OTA) software updates

• AI-powered fleet analytics using telemetry and real-time data

These capabilities allow manufacturers to manage vehicles more effectively throughout their lifecycle while continuously introducing new features and improvements.

Cloud-First Approach to Automotive Engineering

Virtual Development Using Snapdragon vSoC

Qualcomm is introducing the Snapdragon vSoC virtual platform on Google Cloud’s Arm-based Axion bare metal infrastructure. This cloud-first development model enables automakers to design, test, and validate vehicle software entirely in a virtual environment—without depending on physical vehicle hardware during early development stages.

Enabling Global Collaboration

With browser-based access, developers can begin building automotive software from virtually anywhere. This setup encourages collaboration across global teams, reduces development expenses, and accelerates innovation across large-scale automotive software projects.

Long-Term Software Lifecycle and Platform Stability

Project Treble for Automotive Systems

To streamline long-term Android software management, Qualcomm is extending Project Treble to automakers using Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms. The initiative ensures consistent, predictable, and secure software upgrades throughout a vehicle’s lifespan.

Project Treble will support:

• Four generations of Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms

• More than 14 individual system-on-chip (SoC) variants

Decade-Long Software Update Commitment

This initiative is supported by a comprehensive 10-year software maintenance plan, ensuring vehicles remain secure, connected, and technologically current throughout their operational life—an essential requirement for modern software-defined vehicles.