Automotive Engineering - September 2024 - 23

COVER STORY
The BMW iX xDrive50 presented one version of the
automaker's future. Upcoming BMW vehicles could be
enhanced with a more efficient architecture developed using
quantum computing calculations.
Classiq previously applied its quantum computing
efficiency technology to Rolls Royce's aviation efforts.
" Quantum computers are supposed to be,
essentially, the game changer for optimization. "
for example, how do we transfer heat between them
and how do we connect them together, " Müller said.
" Maybe you could put into the solution space a range
of different coolers which have different powers but,
of course, they might be more expensive. In the end,
the algorithm would spit out, 'the most efficient one is
taking these three and connecting them together in
that way,' or 'take these four, but connect these three
and this one only to this component.' "
Classiq previously worked with Rolls Royce on jet
engines and has done work with other automotive
OEMs. The work with BMW is the first automotive endeavor
that Classiq can talk about publicly.
" Quantum computers are supposed to be, essentially,
the game changer for optimization, " Garcell
said. " A lot of companies are looking at them, not just
to make their electric cars more efficient, but to build
better batteries themselves, through quantum simulation,
to create kind of new compounds for the battery
that can either charge faster or hold more
charge overall. There are a lot of different places
people are looking into quantum computing for the
automotive space. "
BMW has a small number of people working on quantum
computing, doing their own research, writing papers
and working with external companies, Müller said.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
In early 2024, BMW partnered with Airbus for the Airbus-BMW Group
Quantum Computing Challenge (ABQCC) which was designed to " harness
quantum technologies for real-world industrial applications. "
Before investigating electrical architectures using quantum computers,
BMW used the technology to test out factory improvements.
Specifically, Müller was involved in quantum work on robot path
planning in a manufacturing facility. BMW hasn't yet put quantum
computing's solutions to work in its plants, with optimized robots
cruising around actual production lines. Instead, BMW is investigating
which problems are amenable to quantum computer solutions and
how much speed and efficiency might be gained.
" Optimization problems are one of our key areas because we
have quite a lot of them, " Müller said. " Producing and designing
vehicles is one of the most complex tasks there is. Nowadays, there
are more and more robot arms that work in the factory. And you
always want to decrease the time they need to finish a certain task,
because this can have big influences on how quick we are able to
produce the cars. "
BMW also used quantum computing to investigate its PVC application
strategy, Müller said. " The main question is, 'what's the best order
for one or maybe multiple robots to do this?' The number of possibilities
of the order that you can do increases exponentially with the number
of seams that you have. It gets more complex if you have different
kinds of tools that the robot can use, maybe corner nozzles or ones
with two nozzles. Even if you [just] get a couple of seconds, or less
than a second improvement, this can have influences down the line. "
September 2024 23
FROM LEFT: BMW; CLASSIQ
Automotive Engineering - September 2024

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