Lucid says it should finally promote “privately owned” autonomous autos with the assistance of Nvidia’s synthetic intelligence know-how. The corporate is the newest to declare its intention to promote Degree 4 autonomous autos to its prospects, regardless of a variety of theoretical and logistical challenges standing in the best way.
Lucid’s autonomous autos — which don’t exist in the mean time — might be powered by Nvidia’s Drive AV platform, which the chipmaker has described as a “modular, versatile strategy” that “empowers” automakers to take as a lot as they want. Nvidia’s system collects and consolidates information from a number of sensors, and improves constantly by way of over-the-air software program updates.
Lucid is taking a web page from Tesla in positioning its present driver help system, DreamDrive Professional, as a gateway to Degree 4 autonomous driving. The automaker presently makes two fashions, the Air sedan and the Gravity SUV, with a 3rd, midsized SUV is coming in 2026. The unnamed midsized EV will include a variety of sensors, together with cameras, lidar, and radar, that may energy a “the primary true eyes-off, hands-off, and mind-off (L4) client owned autonomous automobile.” The mind of the automobile might be comprised of two Nvidia Drive AGX Thor computer systems, working on the chipmaker’s DriveOS software program.
The automaker presently makes two fashions, the Air sedan and the Gravity SUV, with a 3rd, midsized SUV is coming in 2026.
Personally owned autonomous autos are more and more a charming problem for a lot of firms. Early on, many specialists dismissed the concept, arguing that the know-how to energy absolutely autonomous driving was too costly for personal gross sales. As an alternative, fleet-owned robotaxis have been the safer wager, serving to amortize the prices of all of the sensors and high-powered computing energy wanted to allow self-driving automobiles. However now the prices for a lot of of that gear, together with lidar, is coming down, resurfacing the concept that autonomous autos could be low-cost sufficient to promote to common folks.
Whether or not it really works out that method stays to be seen. Waymo, the clear chief within the robotaxi area, solely operates in a handful of markets and is predicted to be unprofitable for fairly some time. Personally owned autonomous autos might turn out to be a actuality, however maybe at an enormous loss to the corporate promoting them.
The announcement is the newest try by an automaker to re-position its product lineup within the aftermath of the expiration of the $7,500 EV tax credit score. With out the tax credit score, EV gross sales are anticipated to drop dramatically. And automakers are attempting to persuade traders that they’re diversified sufficient to face up to the slowdown. Normal Motors rolled out a raft of bulletins final week round partially autonomous autos and residential vitality. And now Lucid, which makes luxurious and efficiency EVs, is doing the identical.
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