BMW, Qualcomm Battle Against VW, Renault on European Connected Car Rules
BMW AG, and Deutsche Telekom AG and Qualcomm disagree on the proposed rules for future connected and automated cars in Europe, backed by
car-markers including Volkswagen AG, Renault SA and Volvo Group.
The new European rules dictate how to send information between vehicles and infrastructure, such as making cars aware of other vehicles on the road as well as relaying signals from traffic lights and other facilities.
The European Parliament is set to vote Wednesday on draft rules by the European Commission, that would endorse WiFi technology pushed by VW, General Motors, and Volvo Group.
BMW and other car and telecom firms are rguing that the poposed law would force them to make additional investments to fit a soon-to-be outdated technology, which offers poorer performance than cellular-based technology compatible with future 5G networks.
“We are convinced that mandating WiFi technology will cause significant delays to the European rollout of car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication,” BMW Chief Executive Officer Harald Krueger and Deutsche Telekom CEO Timotheus Hoettges said in a joint letter to Germany’s Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer.
In a statement published Monday auto and IT associations including 5GAA -- which includes Qualcomm, Ford Motor Co., and Daimler AG as members -- also called on the European Parliament and the European member states to reject the law, saying it will “downsize safety gains, negatively impact the competitiveness of our automotive sector and the development of 5G technology in Europe.”
Volkswagen, Renault, MAN and NXP Semiconductors NV argue that the industry needs clarity on what systems to use as soon as possible, and that Wi-Fi currently is the only proven technology. Volvo Group, said the draft legislation still leaves room to embrace 5G technology in the future.