Skip to main content

BlackBerry pushes boat out for Canoo

QNX technology licensed for semi-autonomous EVs due next year
By David Arminas August 19, 2020 Read time: 2 mins
BlackBerry’s QNX operating system will be used in Canoo EVs (© Evgenyp | Dreamstime.com)

Electric vehicle (EV) start-up Canoo will use BlackBerry’s QNX operating system, including radar sensors, parking sensors and cameras, for its semi-autonomous EVs due next year.

BlackBerry will licence to Canoo its QNX technology, which is used in more than 175 million vehicles on the road.

The deal includes Blackberry’s QNX OS for Safety 2.0 to serve as the foundation for the autonomous vehicle (AV) features within Canoo’s EVs.

QNX OS for Safety is an operating system that embedded developers can use to build safety-critical systems.

Based on BlackBerry’s secure QNX Neutrino real-time operating system (RTOS), QNX OS for Safety has been certified to ISO 26262 ASIL D and IEC 61508 SIL3.

Canoo aims to bring its first production vehicles to market with advanced level 2 or level 2+ autonomy as standard by the end of 2021.

Level 2 features are deemed partial autonomy, enabling the vehicle to manage acceleration and steering and monitor components of its environment in certain conditions.

“Canoo is pushing the boundaries of AV development, challenging the traditional way of building, offering and using vehicles,” said John Wall, senior vice president of BlackBerry Technology Solutions.

“The global AV market is expected to reach nearly $600 billion by 2026," said Phil Weicker, head of propulsion and electronics at Canoo.

"As these systems become more affordable and available to implement in the mass market, our membership model makes it easy to keep our vehicles up-to-date with the latest in ADAS technology."

Canoo, based in Los Angeles, California, is offering EV for subscription and said that its first one will launch at the end of 2021.

Related Content

  • June 17, 2019
    Here’s HD AV map prepared for 5G
    The emergence of 5G may not be necessary to provide a high-definition map for autonomous driving, says Matt Preyss from Here Technologies. Ben Spencer asks why 5G is a hot topic worldwide, with the potential for faster transfer of information eagerly awaited by those convinced that it will be a game-changer for the ITS industry. High-definition (HD) maps are essential to allow autonomous vehicles (AVs) to understand their environment, and operate safely within it in relation to other road users and p
  • May 8, 2018
    Ansys acquires Optis to provide simulation for AV testing
    US engineering company Ansys has bought virtual prototyping firm Optis to develop a solution for simulating autonomous vehicles (AVs) to improve safety and accelerate their deployment. Under the agreement, Optis' optical sensor and closed-loop, real-time simulation will be integrated into Ansys' multiphysics portfolio to help remove the miles of road needed for road testing. The combination of these technologies is intended to allow automotive manufacturers to simulate the environments which driverless
  • June 30, 2022
    Teledyne Flir views AV safety through Prism
    Software framework is aimed at automotive perception engineers integrating thermal cameras
  • September 18, 2020
    Lidar more use in ADAS than AVs, says Cepton
    Silicon Valley start-up says it is already deploying Lidar with automotive manufacturers