Qualcomm and Groupe PSA test inter-vehicle communications

Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) communication technology with the evolution towards 5G is a relevant step for connected and autonomous vehicle deployment and for enhanced road safety

Groupe PSA and Qualcomm Technologies have announced their advancements in Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) communication technology testing. One of the objective of the trial is to test C-V2X technology, as the first step of 5G deployment for automotive applications with direct communication between vehicles. Since the trials' announcement in February 2017, Groupe PSA and Qualcomm Technologies keep on working together to test C-V2X technology based on 3 rd Generation Partnership Program's (3GPP) over 5.9 GHz spectrum, allocated for Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and network communications over commercial telecom operator spectrum.

At the In&Out Digital Mobility event in March in Rennes, Groupe PSA and Qualcomm will host the first demonstration in France. It will feature PSA's cars enabled with C-V2X technology using the Qualcomm® 9150 C-V2X chipset and reference platform. Specific use-cases will demonstrate how C-V2X technology supports Advanced Driver Assistance capabilities. The demonstration will display how vehicles can seamlessly communicate with one another to alert each other of potential roadside hazards or distressed vehicle situations, such as slow moving or disable cars.

C-V2X is a global solution for V2X communications allowing vehicles to exchange information with other vehicles and with pedestrian devices. C-V2X supports improved automotive safety, automated driving and traffic efficiency.

C-V2X's evolution will incorporate 5G New Radio (NR) features, which provide high throughput, ultra-low latency, high reliability and wideband carrier support for advanced use cases for autonomous driving, including high throughput sensor, intent sharing and 3D HD map updates.

To further support the global expansion of the C-V2X ecosystem, Groupe PSA recently joined the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), a cross-industry organization. 5GAA supports C-V2X direct and network communications, which has grown to over 70 member global companies including automakers and their suppliers, mobile operators, semiconductor companies, test equipment vendors, telecom network suppliers, and ITS equipment and software suppliers.

"C-V2X has significant global momentum and broad ecosystem support to ensure its success as a relevant V2X technology," said Carla Gohin, Senior Vice President, Head of Innovation at Groupe PSA. "C-V2X direct communications is an important component for transportation safety thanks to the connected cars that the Groupe PSA is already embracing with onboard telematics. We are pleased to work in close collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies for validating the technology, working on advanced use cases, and ensuring global adoption of C- V2X and its evolution into 5G."

"Much like Qualcomm Technologies, Groupe PSA is a leading force in innovation that helps advance the entire automotive industry," said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president, Qualcomm Europe and MEA. "This effort is an extension of our long-standing relationship including Groupe PSA's selection of Qualcomm Technologies' solutions for its 4G telematics, Snapdragon infotainment systems and smart antenna platform . We look forward in continuing to collaborate with Groupe PSA to include C-V2X and 5G into its vehicle line-up and to bring the benefits of the most advanced automotive technologies to their customers across the globe."