One of the leading developers of state-of-the-art software for self-driving cars, nuTonomy, has formed a strategic partnership with Groupe PSA, owner of the Peugeot, Citroen and DS car brands, through which nuTonomy will seamlessly integrate its sophisticated software system into customized Peugeot 3008 SUVs for on-road testing of fully autonomous cars in Singapore.
Under the initial phase of the partnership, nuTonomy will install its software, along with specialized sensors and computing platforms, into Peugeot 3008 SUV vehicles that have been customized by PSA’s innovation teams. nuTonomy expects to complete the integration of its autonomous vehicle (AV) system this summer, with on-road testing of the self-driving 3008s in Singapore beginning in September. Seamless integration of AV software with vehicle hardware is viewed by both companies as a critical step toward deploying driverless cars at scale, over extended life cycles. The partnership provides an opportunity for both companies to study autonomous vehicle system performance, as well as the end-to-end user experience of an on-demand AV mobility service in urban use cases.
The collaboration, which is being implemented under PSA’s ‘Autonomous Vehicle for All’ (AVA) program, will bring to market on-demand mobility services offering full autonomy. Following the initial phase of this partnership, the companies will consider expanding their on-road AV testing initiative to other major cities around the world. PSA’s Business Lab and Innovation Division are launching the collaboration to identify and evaluate new business opportunities, particularly in the mobility and digital services fields.
nuTonomy has been conducting public trials of an on-demand AV mobility service in Singapore since August 2016. The partnership with PSA expands nuTonomy’s test fleet of Renault vehicles, which operates in the One-North business district, the AV testbed designated by the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Singapore actively supports the development of new mobility solutions, as it seeks to embrace a growing population while maximizing the efficient use of infrastructure. nuTonomy’s founders and the LTA have been R&D partners in the development of commercial AV services since 2010.
Karl Iagnemma, CEO and co-founder of nuTonomy (above right), said, “We’re confident that working with Groupe PSA will bring us closer to our goal of deploying a safe, efficient, fully autonomous mobility-on-demand transportation service for urban driving environments. We look forward to future collaboration opportunities with PSA.”
Anne Laliron, head of the PSA’s Business Lab, added, “This collaboration is a significant step toward fully autonomous vehicles, which will enable us to offer different mobility solutions to our customers.”
