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BMW is pulling the curtain on its next iteration of iDrive, the software and infotainment platform that has served as a centerpiece of the automaker’s in-car experience for the past 20 years.
The eighth version of iDrive will live primarily on a new “curved” screen that starts behind the wheel and extends halfway across the dashboard. This involves merging the 12.3-inch dashboard and 14.9-inch center infotainment screen into a single driver-facing unit. The screen size will vary depending on the vehicle, but the screen will have the appearance of “floating,” the automaker said. The new iDrive will debut later this year in BMW’s new iX electric SUV, as well as the BMW i4 electric sedan.
The brains of this car will also be a significant improvement over previous models, BMW says. The on-board computer will be able to process 20 to 30 times the volume of data of previous models, approximately double the amount of data that was previously possible. This will allow for greater fusion of the vehicle’s sensors, which will help enable higher levels of autonomous driving.
According to Frank Weber, technical director of BMW, iDrive is a “major step” towards fully autonomous vehicles. He explained that iDrive is designed to support Level 2 and Level 3 autonomous driving systems.
“This is not an evolutionary step compared to what we had in the [previous] generation, ”Weber said. “It’s a whole new, whole new system in terms of sensors, IT, [and] the way it was developed.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, defined as Level 2 by the Society of Automotive Engineers, include lane keeping, blind spot detection, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. Most major car manufacturers today incorporate some version of advanced driver assistance in their vehicles. Level 3 refers to highly automated driving, also known as conditional automation, where the driver should always be able to take charge of the vehicle on demand.
Other automakers have been disappointed with the promise of a Level 3 drive. Audi, for example, has said that its A8 sedan will come with a feature called Traffic Jam Pilot which, when active, will relieve pain. human drivers of the need to pay attention when driving at a standstill. But the functionality was subject to local authority approval, and Traffic Jam Pilot remains inactive in most markets around the world. Audi has no plans to activate the feature, and Level 3 automation remains a quagmire of legal, regulatory and business challenges.
Weber declined to say when BMW would introduce Level 3 automation and hinted that this was conditional on accumulating more test miles in vehicles equipped with the new version of iDrive.
“No one can currently offer level 3 capabilities at the start of production, because you need so many test kilometers,” he said. “So you need a production vehicle, and then you run all your validation tests for level 3.”
iDrive can be controlled by touch, voice activation or gesture control. There are three main configurations: Drive, in which drivers can use a “dynamic change area in the center of the information display to display individually selectable information”; Focus, “designed for extremely dynamic driving situations”; and Gallery, which minimizes driving content “to free up as much space as possible for the content of the widget.”
There is a customization theme running through the automaker’s new software update. BMW’s intelligent personal assistant, built on Microsoft’s Azure cloud system, “will adapt to the driver’s individual needs and routines,” the company says, making it “a central operating channel for interaction. man-machine ”.
The virtual assistant, which has been available in BMW cars for several years, will play the role of a “digital character who can engage in a natural dialogue with the driver and front passenger – much like a human relationship. . ” Expect similarities to Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX system or Volvo’s Google Android assistant.
Thanks to ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, iDrive will be able to load a driver’s personal settings as soon as he approaches the vehicle by detecting his key fob or smartphone. BMW describes it as a “grand entrance moment,” which includes geometric projections, illuminated door handles and other lighting effects.
There will be three driving modes: sport, personal and efficient. These driving functions control like engine throttle, steering characteristics, regenerative braking and chassis settings, as well as internal and external sounds. New modes may be added via live software updates in the future.
Information on navigation, parking and charging of electric vehicles will be fully integrated into iDrive. BMW is expanding its theme of personalization to its mapping capabilities with a new feature called ‘learning navigation’, in which the vehicle will learn and anticipate the destination the driver is likely to head to next, based on their personal identity. This is meant to be a time saver, as well as a way to identify possible road hazards that may delay the trip.
iDrive will support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly, the company said. For several years, BMW has had the dubious distinction of being one of the few automakers to charge customers an annual fee to mirror their smartphone’s display on their car’s infotainment screen. BMW reversed that decision in 2019 and has since offered both CarPlay and Android Auto to its customers for free.
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