Volvo taps Nvidia tech for hands-free, point-to-point driving by 2030
A system for urban roads
Volvo said Thursday that it will use Nvidia’s autonomous-driving stack for a new system similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised). The automaker expects the technology to enable hands-free, point-to-point driving on local roads.
Volvo describes the system as Level 2++, capable of handling complex city settings such as traffic lights, stop signs and unprotected left turns without explicit driver control. Nvidia automotive team vice president and general manager Ali Kani also compared it with a system recently introduced by Mercedes-Benz for its new CLA sedan.
Nvidia hardware and software
The planned setup uses Nvidia’s Hyperion platform, which combines the company’s chips with additional vehicle sensors. Volvo will also use Nvidia’s Alpamayo software, whose “reasoning” models interpret difficult road conditions and plan steering, braking and acceleration.
The system will not have lidar at launch, though Volvo could add the laser-based sensor later. Volvo has previously planned lidar on some models, but that effort ended after supplier Luminar went bankrupt.
Safety and past setbacks
Volvo aims to pair Nvidia’s technology with its own safety systems, including software that analyzes driver behavior in more detail than a basic monitoring system. Alwin Bakkenes, Volvo Cars’ head of global software engineering, said the company’s safety reputation and technology would help strengthen the system.
The automaker has faced challenges with earlier automated-driving plans. Its Ride Pilot Level 3 unsupervised system in the US was effectively sidelined after it failed to receive regulatory approval.
Rollout and business plans
Volvo intends to make the point-to-point system available across its vehicle range, from entry-level to high-end models, but has not said which vehicles will get it first. Bakkenes said it would arrive “before the end of the decade,” while Volvo’s stated plan is to launch by 2030.
Kani said point-to-point driving may offer more value than technology limited to highway assistance. Nvidia also sees the partnership as a way to help Volvo build a business model around ongoing software offerings.
Key points
- Volvo plans to launch its Nvidia-powered system before the end of the decade.
- The Level 2++ technology is designed for hands-free point-to-point driving on local roads.
- The system will use Nvidia’s Hyperion platform and Alpamayo software, but not lidar initially.
- Volvo has not identified the first models slated to receive the technology.