Automobile Technology

Our automobile work focuses on the connectivity, sensing and software technologies behind safer, smarter vehicles.

Automobile focus

Modern vehicles are computers on wheels: connected to networks, aware of their surroundings and updated over the air. We follow the inventions that make this possible, from cellular vehicle-to-everything communication to in-car connectivity and driver assistance, and make them available to automakers and suppliers through fair licensing.

Automobile innovation in everyday life

The automotive technologies we focus on make driving safer and more connected. Here are a few of the ways they make a difference.

Connected Cars

Built-in cellular connectivity for navigation, emergency calls and remote services.

Safety Alerts

Vehicle-to-everything messages that warn drivers about hazards ahead.

Over-the-Air Updates

Software updates that keep vehicles improving long after they leave the factory.

In-Car Experience

Streaming, voice and navigation that keep passengers informed and entertained.

Driver Assistance

Cameras, radar and AI that help vehicles see and react to the road.

Electric Vehicles

Smart charging and battery management for efficient electric driving.

Featured

Connected Cars and C-V2X

Cellular vehicle-to-everything communication lets cars talk to each other, to roadside infrastructure and to pedestrians’ devices. This paper explains how C-V2X works, the safety benefits it promises, and how it fits into the wider evolution of connected vehicles.

Explore our automobile focus areas in depth

Learn more about the research areas shaping connected vehicles.

Sustainable mobility

Connectivity and software are helping vehicles use energy more wisely. Many of the automotive inventions we focus on support that shift:

Smart charging that uses cleaner, cheaper power
Route planning that cuts wasted driving
Software updates that improve efficiency over time
Connected traffic systems that reduce congestion

Smarter vehicles are better for drivers, for cities and for the planet.

Our automobile focus

Our automobile work spans three connected areas.

Following what’s next in automobile

We follow research in vehicle connectivity, sensing and software.

Monitoring C-V2X and connected-vehicle research
Following sensing and driver-assistance innovation
Tracking software-defined vehicle architectures

The standards behind automobiles

The automotive inventions we focus on are found in the connectivity standards built into modern vehicles.

C-V2XVehicle comms

5G NRCellular

LTETelematics

Wi-FiIn-vehicle

BluetoothIn-vehicle