Volvo is deepening its long-running partnership with Nvidia, announcing plans to use the chipmaker's Hyperion platform and Alpamayo software stack in future vehicles. The system is designed for hands-free, point-to-point driving on urban streets and highways, a Level 2++ system similar to Tesla's Full Self-Driving and Mercedes-Benz's recent Nvidia-powered CLA system.
Both sources agree Volvo will combine Nvidia's hardware and software with its own safety engineering, including driver-understanding systems and connected safety tech that shares hazard information between vehicles. The Verge notes the setup will not include lidar, though it could be added later; TechCrunch adds that Volvo will also use Nvidia's Halos safety evaluation layer and that the open-source Alpamayo software has been downloaded by more than 650,000 developers.
The companies did not disclose financial terms or which models will get the system first. Volvo's software chief Alwin Bakkenes said the first vehicle will arrive before the end of the decade, and the technology will eventually span the entire lineup, from entry-level to high-end. The Verge frames the move as a correction after Volvo sidelined its Ride Pilot Level 3 system in the US and its lidar supplier Luminar went bankrupt; TechCrunch emphasizes Volvo's shift to becoming a "full tech stack company" across EVs, hybrids, and gas vehicles.