Volvo to Use Nvidia Technology for Hands-Free, Point-to-Point Driving

Volvo plans to launch hands-free point-to-point driving by 2030, supported by Nvidia's latest AI technology. The Chinese-owned, Swedish-designed automaker announced Thursday that it will use Nvidia's autonomous driving stack to power a new semi-autonomous system similar to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised). Volvo says the new point-to-point system will be Level 2++,

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This system will be similar to Tesla's fully self-driving system in that it allows for hands-free and automated point-to-point semi-autonomous driving on local roads.

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Transportation editor with over 10 years of experience covering electric vehicles, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in the New York Daily News and City and State.

Volvo plans to launch hands-free point-to-point driving by 2030, powered by Nvidia's latest artificial intelligence technology. The Chinese-owned Swedish automaker announced Thursday that it will use Nvidia's autonomous driving stack to power a new semi-autonomous driving system similar to Tesla's fully supervised driving system.

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, the system will also be similar to the Nvidia-powered system Mercedes-Benz recently released for the all-new CLA sedan, Ali Kani, vice president and general manager of Nvidia's automotive team, told The Verge in an interview.

Volvo will use Nvidia's Hyperion platform, which includes high-power silicon chip makers. Also, additional sensors are installed around the car so that the car can see and understand its surroundings. The automaker will also use Nvidia's Alpamayo software, which uses "reasoning" models to understand complex road conditions and plan for steering, braking or acceleration. This setup doesn't include lidar, though it could include a laser sensor if Volvo decides to add it in the future.

Expanding on its previous partnership with Volvo, the automaker is trying to fix some of its failed self-driving projects in the past. The automaker was forced to effectively abandon its Ride Pilot Level 3 self-driving system in the US after it failed to receive regulatory approval. Volvo also planned to add lidar sensors to some of its models, but that plan was scrapped after supplier Luminar went bankrupt.

Volvo also brings its reputation for safety to the table. Alwin Bakkenes, head of global software engineering at Volvo Cars, said the automaker wants to combine its safety expertise with Nvidia's technology to improve the overall system, including help with its proprietary driver perception systems, which analyze driver behavior in much greater detail than a basic driver monitoring system.

"Our Volvo brand is synonymous with safety, and safety is synonymous with trust," Bakkens said in an interview. "People get into our cars not expecting anything bad to happen, but they instinctively feel that if they're in a situation ... we're going to do everything we can to keep people safe and protect them from harm."

Another important component is Volvo's connected safety technology, which allows its cars to exchange information about hazards and conditions ahead, including roadworks. Sharing this information can effectively extend system awareness beyond what a vehicle's sensors can detect, potentially improving the operational capabilities of autonomous vehicles.

Volvo plans to make the new point-to-point driving system available across its range of cars, from entry-level to top-of-the-line versions – although the company hasn't revealed which models will be first. The timeline was also a little vague, with Bakkens only confirming that it would launch "before the end of the decade."

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

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