Tesla Model S And BMW Pick Tegra For High-Power Infotainment Systems

Tegra isn't just finding its way into smartphones and tablets; NVIDIA has also sealed deals with Tesla and BMW to power the two marque's infotainment, navigation and instrument-cluster systems. The Tegra-based systems will include a huge 17-inch touchscreen center console in the Tesla Model S, complete with 3D graphics and live-traffic updates for PND functionality.

The Model S will also get a second display, slightly smaller at 12.3-inches, for the instrument cluster, which will feature 3D graphics about the electric car's systems. Each display will get a Tegra CPU of its own to drive it.

As for BMW, they'll be a little more conservative than Tesla, but plan on using Tegra to drive a 1280 x 600 display in upcoming 7-Series, 5-Series, 3-Series, Mini Cooper and X-Series ranges. They'll also get real-time traffic reporting and navigation information, all controlled by BMW's iDrive knob.

Press Release:

NVIDIA GPUs TO BE THE INFOTAINMENT CENTERPIECE ACROSS BMW'S NEXT-GENERATION OF CARS

From the 7 Series to the Mini Cooper, NVIDIA Powers BMW State-of-the-Art Graphics, Enabling Focus on Safer, More Enjoyable Driving

BMW of North America and NVIDIA today announced a partnership that puts NVIDIA® GPUs in navigation and vehicle-information systems across all next-generation BMW cars worldwide. NVIDIA GPUs will power BMW's in-car navigation systems to deliver vivid graphics with detailed terrain models, landmarks and a stunning new interface. NVIDIA processors will be found throughout BMW's range of models, including the 7-Series, 5-Series, 3-Series, Mini Cooper line and X-Series of sports activity vehicles.

Tesla Motors' Model S to Feature NVIDIA Tegra Processors

Power-Stingy Tegra to Run All-Electric Sedan's Infotainment, Navigation, Instrument-Cluster Systems

NVIDIA announced today that NVIDIA® Tegra™ processors will power the infotainment, navigation and instrument-cluster systems in the Tesla Model S, the first sedan built from the ground up as an electric vehicle. Built around the driver, the Model S is the premium sedan, evolved. Its infotainment system features a 17-inch touch-screen center console – the largest display ever in a car – providing vivid 3D graphics. In addition to its unrivaled graphics capability, the Tegra processor provides exceptional energy efficiency, a critically important feature for electric cars. One processor will be used to power the infotainment and navigation systems, and another for the instrument cluster.

NVIDIA GPUs TO BE THE INFOTAINMENT CENTERPIECE ACROSS BMW'S NEXT-GENERATION OF CARS

From the 7 Series to the Mini Cooper, NVIDIA Powers BMW State-of-the-Art Graphics,

Enabling Focus on Safer, More Enjoyable Driving

Las Vegas — CES 2011 ­— Jan. 4, 2011—BMW of North America and NVIDIA today announced a partnership that puts NVIDIA® GPUs in navigation and vehicle-information systems across all next-generation BMW cars worldwide.

NVIDIA GPUs will power BMW's in-car navigation systems to deliver vivid graphics with detailed terrain models, landmarks and a stunning new interface. NVIDIA processors will be found throughout BMW's range of models, including the 7-Series, 5-Series, 3-Series, Mini Cooper line and X-Series of sports activity vehicles.

BMW's iDrive will feature high resolution visuals, real-time traffic reporting and navigation information. iDrive is the intelligent control concept that makes it intuitively simple to use a BMW's in-car features. Its ability to clearly show the most relevant details and make anticipatory decisions to assist the driver will allow BMW owners to drive more safely and focus on the joy of driving.

Highlights / Key Facts:

· Powered by NVIDIA GPUs, the BMW iDrive system provides:

o Visually rich, next-generation user interface

o Advanced state-of-the-art graphics for navigation and vehicle-information systems

o High resolution display (1280x600)

o Fast user-interface response time

· At CES 2011, see a sneak preview of the BMW 5-Series, showcasing the very latest graphics technologies at NVIDIA's outdoor exhibit – Central Plaza booth # CP7.

Quotes:

· "A year ago we had a vision to deliver the most advanced intuitive state-of-the-art navigation system. In our quest for superior graphics performance, no one came close to what NVIDIA brings to the table. Our partnership represents the beginning of an exciting new phase for BMW drivers."

- Elmar Frickenstein, Executive Vice President Electrics/Electronics and Driving Experience Environment at BMW

· "BMW has built their reputation on creating the ultimate driving experience. They are taking that to an entirely new level with NVIDIA GPUs."

- Dan Vivoli, Senior Vice President at NVIDIA

Useful Links:

www.bmwusa.com

www.nvidia.com

About NVIDIA

NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA

) awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from tablets and portable media players to notebooks and workstations. NVIDIA's expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. The Company holds more than 1,600 patents worldwide, including ones covering designs and insights that are essential to modern computing. For more information, see www.nvidia.com.

BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 336 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 143 BMW motorcycle retailers, 100 MINI passenger car dealers, and 31 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

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Tesla Motors' Model S to Feature NVIDIA Tegra Processors

Power-Stingy Tegra to Run All-Electric Sedan's Infotainment, Navigation, Instrument-Cluster Systems

Las Vegas — CES 2011 ­— Jan. 4, 2011—NVIDIA announced today that NVIDIA® Tegra™ processors will power the infotainment, navigation and instrument-cluster systems in the Tesla Model S, the first sedan built from the ground up as an electric vehicle. Built around the driver, the Model S is the premium sedan, evolved. Its infotainment system features a 17-inch touch-screen center console – the largest display ever in a car – providing vivid 3D graphics.

In addition to its unrivaled graphics capability, the Tegra processor provides exceptional energy efficiency, a critically important feature for electric cars. One processor will be used to power the infotainment and navigation systems, and another for the instrument cluster.

The infotainment and navigation systems feature:

17-inch high resolution display, the largest display ever in a car

Responsive touchscreen with a fully intuitive user interface

Connected navigation with live traffic, points of interest and weather

Touchscreen-based climate-control system

The all-digital instrument cluster features:

Ultra high-resolution, driver-friendly 12.3" LCD display

Advanced 3D graphics providing data about the vehicle

CES 2011 attendees will be able to view the Model S outside the Las Vegas Convention Center in the Central Plaza, booth # CP7.

Visit NVIDIA's booth in South Hall 3, booth # 31431 to learn about how NVIDIA is working with Tesla Motors to bring visual computing to tomorrow's cars.

Quotes:

· "Model S is designed for performance-oriented efficiency. NVIDIA allows us to use the highest graphics with the lowest energy use."

- JB Straubel, chief technology officer at Tesla Motors

"The Model S is a modern marvel – a blend of beauty, performance and efficiency. Tegra's combination of graphics power and energy efficiency make it a perfect match for the Model S."

- Dan Vivoli, senior vice president at NVIDIA

About Tegra

NVIDIA Tegra is the world's first mobile superchip, with eight dedicated computing cores. These include the ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, the world's only ultra-low power NVIDIA GeForce® GPU and the world's first mobile 1080p HD video processor.

These features enable it to offer extremely realistic 3D graphics and advanced multimedia functionality and premium-quality accelerated user interfaces. Its auto-grade version has undergone specific testing for the automotive market and passed the industry-standard AEC-100 qualification for reliability, adhering to certain operating temperature ranges. It also offers a complete toolset for engineers to quickly build visually-appealing user interfaces.