01:39 08-01-2026

Inside BMW's Neue Klasse: QNX as the backbone for safety-critical systems and driver assistance

BMW has revealed one of the pillars of its new electric era, Neue Klasse: the safety-critical systems and driver-assistance features will be built on the QNX software platform. The announcement at CES 2026 made it clear this is not a bespoke setup but the technological foundation for all next-generation models.

For BMW, Neue Klasse is more than a fresh lineup of EVs; it’s a complete rethink of the electronic architecture. The cars will gain a kind of digital nervous system composed of four high-performance computing units the company informally calls “superbrains.” Each unit oversees a core domain: driver assistance, infotainment, driving dynamics, and fundamental vehicle functions. Within this structure, QNX serves as the secure, deterministic layer on which all safety-critical processes are built.

The BMW–QNX collaboration began several years ago while developing SAE Level 2 and 2+ assist systems, and Neue Klasse is a logical extension of that work. As cars become decisively software-defined, priorities shift toward stability, domain isolation, and fault tolerance—especially for functions that directly influence safety.

Choosing QNX comes across as a pragmatic move: the platform has long been embedded in the automotive world and runs in hundreds of millions of vehicles globally. For BMW, that means accelerating the rollout of new features without compromising reliability or certification, and scaling electronic solutions across the lineup with far greater ease.