QNX Driving Innovation in the Cloud: How Virtual Testing Is Accelerating Automotive Cockpit Development

As vehicles become increasingly complex and consumer expectations continue to rise, automakers face mounting pressure to deliver next-generation driving experiences that are safe, secure, and thoroughly tested — all within shorter development cycles.

One area undergoing rapid transformation is the digital cockpit, which has evolved from a simple dashboard into a sophisticated, multi-sensory interface central to the driving experience.

To meet these challenges, carmakers are turning to cloud-based simulation and testing — a method that allows them to model, test, and refine cockpit systems before physical hardware is even available.

In this interview, QNX subject matter experts, Senior Product Management Director Jasmin Mulaosmanovic and Senior Technical Product Manager Christ Habib share insights into how this approach is reshaping automotive development.

Automotive Industries (AI) Let’s start with the basics. What does “testing in the cloud” mean in the automotive context?

Mulaosmanovic: For many people, the cloud just means storing files on someone else’s computer. But in automotive, it’s much more than that. There are two major uses: runtime and development. At runtime, connected vehicles push data to the cloud for monitoring, cybersecurity, and performance analysis.

For example, camera data might be uploaded to evaluate how well an AI model detects pedestrians or road signs. OEMs also use the cloud to push updates or new features to vehicles — like over-the-air (OTA) updates or subscription-based services.

Habib: On the development side, cloud-based testing means simulating vehicle systems before the hardware is even built. It allows teams to start development early and iterate faster, using scalable cloud resources to test functionality and performance.

AI: How accurately can a vehicle be tested in the cloud before hardware is available?

Mulaosmanovic: Think of it like building a house. Once the foundation is poured — that’s your hardware — you’re limited in what you can change.

But in the cloud, you can simulate different layers: furniture placement (apps), wall layout (middleware), even plumbing (drivers), before the foundation is set. This layered approach lets teams work in parallel and iterate faster.

Habib: Hardware development takes years, and waiting for it delays everything. Cloud simulation lets you abstract away from the hardware and start development early.

You can emulate many aspects of the system and test functionality, even if performance metrics aren’t 100% accurate yet.

AI: What kinds of test scenarios are automakers running in the cloud today?

Mulaosmanovic: Functional testing is the most common — validating that software behaves as expected. You can simulate user interactions, sensor inputs, and environmental conditions. Performance testing is trickier, because emulated hardware might behave differently to real hardware.

But we estimate that 80% of functionality can be validated in the cloud today.

Habib: Graphics, CPU-based tasks, and application logic are all fair game. Where it gets harder is with peripherals — things like GPIOs, CAN buses, or MCUs — which often need to be simulated. That’s where fidelity starts to drop, but even then, you can get meaningful insights.

AI: Are OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers using cloud-based simulation today?

Mulaosmanovic: Yes, many are. BMW, for example, has been vocal about using cloud simulation for Android-based cockpit development.

Stellantis has also presented publicly on their use of cloud testing. And each major cloud provider — AWS, Azure, Google — has partnerships with OEMs exploring this space.

Habib: It’s becoming mainstream. The benefits are too compelling to ignore.

AI: What advantages do OEMs and Tier 1s see from cloud-based testing?

Habib: The biggest one is speed. You can start development earlier and test at scale. Some OEMs report finding 90% of software bugs before hardware even arrives. That’s huge. It shifts the development timeline to the left and reduces costly late-stage fixes.

Mulaosmanovic: It also improves collaboration. With cloud infrastructure, teams around the world can spin up identical environments instantly. That consistency boosts productivity and reduces integration headaches.

AI: Is all cloud-based testing the same, or are there different levels of complexity and fidelity?

Habib: There are definitely levels.

Synopsys, for example, defines simulation levels from 0 to 5. A Level 3 simulation might run the same OS and apps as production, but on different hardware. A Level 4 adds simulated peripherals for higher fidelity.

The cloud is just the environment — the simulation level depends on how closely you mimic the production setup.

Mulaosmanovic: At QNX, we talk about Level 3 Plus, which uses our hypervisor to run multiple guest OSes — like Android or Linux — on bare-metal cloud resources. This setup closely mirrors the vehicle’s architecture and gives developers confidence that what works in the cloud will work in the car.

AI: Why is the QNX hypervisor important for cloud-based simulation?

Mulaosmanovic: It enables multi-OS environments on a single cloud instance, just like in a real vehicle. You can test interactions between the host OS and guest OSes, observe resource management, and validate system behavior holistically.

Habib: And because our hypervisor is used in production vehicles, the cloud simulation is truly representative. Other providers might offer hypervisors in the cloud, but QNX is unique in offering full compatibility between cloud and vehicle environments.

AI: What’s the value proposition for QNX in cloud-based testing?

Mulaosmanovic: It starts with safety certification. Our OS and hypervisor are certified for use in production vehicles, which is critical for OEMs. Then we extend that same stack to the cloud, enabling seamless development and testing across environments.

Habib: Our architecture is modular and abstract, which means it adapts well to different simulation levels. Whether you’re testing apps, middleware, or drivers, QNX gives you the flexibility and fidelity you need — without locking you into specific hardware.

AI: Looking ahead, where is cloud-based simulation and testing going?

Habib: I think we’ll see a shift toward software-centric development. Instead of picking hardware first and building software to match, OEMs will design software and then choose or even build hardware to support it.

Cloud simulation will help them model different configurations and optimize before committing to physical components.

Mulaosmanovic: I agree, but I’d go even broader. The future isn’t just about simulating features — it’s about transforming the entire development experience. From requirements gathering to architecture design, implementation, testing, and validation — cloud platforms will tie it all together.

The winners will be those who can integrate cross-functional teams, speed up feedback loops, and make smarter decisions faster.

AI: Any final thoughts to share?

Mulaosmanovic: Cloud simulation isn’t just a tool — it’s a paradigm shift. It’s changing how we build vehicles, how we collaborate, and how we innovate.

Habib: And QNX is proud to be at the forefront of that transformation.