Volvo will use Nvidia’s tech for hands-free, point-to-point driving

Volvo plans to launch hands-free, point-to-point driving by 2030, powered by Nvidia’s latest AI technology. The Chinese-owned, Swedish-designed automaker said Thursday it would use Nvidia’s autonomous driving stack to power a new partially automated driving system similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised).

Volvo says the new point-to-point system will be Level 2++, meaning it can handle complex urban environments, including traffic lights, stop signs, and unprotected left turns without explicit driver control. In addition to Tesla’s FSD, it will also resemble the Nvidia-powered system that Mercedes-Benz recently rolled out for the all-new CLA sedan, said Ali Kani, VP and general manager of the automotive team at Nvidia, in an interview with The Verge.

Volvo will use Nvidia’s Hyperion platform, which includes the chipmaker’s high-powered silicon, as well as additional sensors mounted around the vehicle so the car can see and perceive its surroundings. The automaker will also utilize Nvidia’s Alpamayo software, which uses “reasoning” models to make sense of complex road conditions and plan where to steer, brake, or accelerate. The setup will not include lidar, though it could include the laser sensor if Volvo decides to add it in the future.

By expanding its preexisting partnership with Volvo, the automaker is trying to correct some of its failed automated driving projects of the past. The automaker had to effectively sideline its Ride Pilot Level 3 unsupervised autonomous driving system in the US after failing to obtain regulatory approval. Volvo also planned to add lidar sensors to some of its models, but that plan fell away after its supplier Luminar went bankrupt.

Volvo is also bringing its own reputation for safety to the table. The automaker wants to combine its safety expertise with Nvidia’s technology to improve the overall system, including contributing its proprietary driver-understanding systems, which analyze driver behavior in considerably greater detail than a basic driver monitoring system, said Alwin Bakkenes, head of global software engineering at Volvo Cars.

“Our brand Volvo is synonymous with safety, and safety is synonymous with trust,” Bakkenes said in an interview. “People get into our cars not expecting anything bad to happen, but they feel intrinsically that if they’re ever in a situation … we will do our utmost to keep people safe, to protect them from harm.”

Another important component is Volvo’s connected safety technology that allows its vehicles to exchange information about hazards and conditions ahead, including roadworks. Sharing this information can effectively extend the system’s awareness beyond what an individual vehicle’s sensors can detect, potentially improving the operating capabilities of the self-driving functionality.

Volvo plans to make the new point-to-point driving system available across its vehicle lineup, from entry-level to high-end versions — though the company didn’t reveal which models will come first. The timeline was also a little vague, with Bakkenes only confirming that it will launch “before the end of the decade.”

Kani also pointed to the commercial implications, noting that point-to-point driving may prove to be more valuable than a system limited to highway assistance. Nvidia sees the partnership as an opportunity not only to advance the technology but also to help Volvo develop its business model around ongoing software-based offerings, he said.

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