Software Defined Vehicles
Computing beyond classical limits
Are quantum computers the future of the automotive industry?
Quantum computing promises a major leap forward for industry and science when it comes to solving highly complex problems. But how do quantum computers actually work – and how could they advance the automotive industry in practice?
The growing complexity of products and manufacturing processes has intensified calls for a significant increase in computing power in recent years. In fields such as materials science, pharmaceutical research and artificial intelligence, even high-performance computing systems are increasingly reaching their limits. The demand for more powerful machines capable of handling extremely complex and computation-intensive tasks, including AI-driven applications, continues to rise.
What began as a theoretical concept in the 1960s and 1970s, developed by IBM researchers such as Richard Feynman and Yuri Manin, has since evolved into one of the most promising research fields in computer science: quantum computing. This technology has the potential to play a key role in solving problems that remain intractable for classical computers, including today’s most powerful supercomputers.
“Those who master and apply quantum technologies will gain decisive competitive advantages,” said Achim Berg, then President of Bitkom, several years ago. According to a Bitkom Research study based on interviews with 605 companies employing more than 20 people, around 54 per cent believe quantum computing will be highly relevant to the future competitiveness of the German economy. The perceived importance increases with company size, rising to 74 per cent among enterprises with more than 2,000 employees.
Strategic interest grows within the automotive industry
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The automotive sector is also showing growing strategic interest in quantum computing. One example is BMW Group, which has been systematically building internal expertise in the field since 2017. Following several years of evaluation, the company defined its own quantum strategy in 2020.
“We view quantum computing as a strategic future technology that can support our core business and position us as an innovation leader,” explains Andre Luckow, Head of Innovation and Emerging Technologies at BMW Group. “At the same time, our activities aim to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty.”
For BMW, the focus is less on short-term breakthroughs and more on long-term capability building – including knowledge, software expertise and the ability to assess potential applications realistically.
What is a quantum computer?
The operating principle of a quantum computer differs fundamentally from that of classical systems. While conventional computers process information using bits that represent either zero or one, quantum computers use so-called qubits. These exploit quantum-mechanical effects, most notably superposition, which allows a qubit to exist in multiple states simultaneously until it is measured.
This enables quantum computers to consider many possible computational states in parallel rather than sequentially. For certain classes of problems – such as optimisation, complex searches or simulations – this parallelism can offer substantial efficiency gains. Another key phenomenon is entanglement, in which the states of multiple qubits are intrinsically linked. This allows computations that cannot be replicated using classical architectures.
Early experiments with quantum computers date back to the 1980s, when only a small number of highly unstable qubits could be controlled. Advances in physics, materials science and system control have since led to significant improvements in stability and controllability. However, qubits remain extremely sensitive to environmental disturbances such as temperature fluctuations or electromagnetic interference. As a result, many systems require extreme cooling close to absolute zero, vacuum operation or sophisticated shielding.
This technical complexity underlines that quantum computers are not intended to replace classical systems but rather to complement them as specialised tools for selected problem domains.
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Understanding the quantum computing stack
To realistically assess the industrial potential of quantum computing, it must be viewed as a layered system. At the lowest level lies the hardware layer, which focuses on the physical realisation of quantum processors. For automotive OEMs and suppliers, this layer is primarily relevant through research collaborations rather than in-house development.
A critical intermediate layer is quantum error correction, which will ultimately determine whether quantum computers can deliver reliable, industrial-grade results. Progress here will define when quantum computing transitions from experimental pilots to robust applications.
Above this sit logical qubits and abstraction layers that make quantum systems usable within existing IT and simulation environments. Quantum intermediate representations allow algorithms to be formulated independently of specific hardware platforms, protecting investments in software and expertise.
At the application layer, quantum computing meets real-world automotive challenges, including optimisation problems, complex simulations and hybrid approaches combining quantum computing with artificial intelligence. Importantly, meaningful progress at the application level is already possible even while hardware maturity remains limited.
From qubit growth to system architecture
Parallel to standardisation efforts, quantum hardware has advanced rapidly. IBM, for example, has consistently increased qubit counts, progressing from the 65-qubit Hummingbird processor to later generations such as Eagle, Osprey and Condor. At the same time, the focus has shifted from pure scaling towards system architecture, control and software integration.
A key milestone for European quantum research was the installation of IBM Quantum System One in Ehningen, Germany, in 2021. Operated in collaboration with Fraunhofer, the system provides companies and research institutions with practical access to quantum computing under German legal frameworks, offering added security in terms of data protection and intellectual property.
Quantum computing as an industrial ecosystem
The founding of the Quantum Technology and Application Consortium (QUTAC) in 2021 provided further momentum. Members include Bosch, BMW, Volkswagen, BASF, Covestro and SAP. The consortium aims to accelerate the transfer of quantum research into industrially relevant applications across sectors such as automotive, chemistry, pharmaceuticals and insurance.
In parallel, initiatives such as Munich Quantum Valley are strengthening Germany’s quantum ecosystem through close collaboration between industry, academia and public institutions, supported by extensive public funding.
Where quantum computing could matter for OEMs
BMW’s quantum strategy illustrates how OEMs are approaching the technology pragmatically. The company is focusing on optimisation problems across production and logistics, including vehicle sequencing, resource planning and robot trajectory optimisation. In vehicle development, applications include the design of electrical and thermal systems as well as complex vehicle architectures.
Quantum-inspired algorithms, which can already run on classical hardware, play a key role at this stage, allowing BMW to build expertise without committing to specific hardware platforms.
Hybrid quantum–AI approaches gain attention
Beyond individual OEM initiatives, hybrid approaches combining quantum computing and artificial intelligence are gaining traction. One example is the QAIAC project led by Forschungszentrum Jülich in collaboration with partners such as Mercedes-Benz, ZF and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI).
The project explores how quantum computing could enhance AI applications in areas such as transport route planning, production scheduling and finite element analysis. Hybrid methods aim to combine quantum-supported algorithms with classical AI to address highly complex, data-intensive tasks more efficiently.
Researchers emphasise that these applications are still at an early stage. However, they underline the long-term potential of quantum computing as a strategic technology that could reshape automotive development, production and mobility systems over the coming decades.
