Peugeot and tech company NuTonomy have teamed up to test self-driving cars in Singapore. The French carmaker, part of the PSA Group, will be collaborating with Massachusetts-based startup by using its autonomous driving software platforms, their joint press release published on Wednesday reveals. The aim of the project is to identify suppliers that will be needed for self-driving car components, as well as identifying the components themselves. The on-road AV testing is already underway in Singapore using Peugeot 3008 models with the ultimate goal of further advancing autonomous driving technologies.
Peugeot is using NuTonomy’s computing platform as well as its sensors and software in this autonomous vehicles project, seeking to develop ‘level 5’ self-driving cars and see how the service performs. PSA Group Head of the Business Lab, Anne Laliron, spoke of the different approach required for the design of such vehicles to be used on urban roads. Laliron noted that the software and sensors needed for this are particularly important, and explained how that was the main reason why Peugeot had chosen to partner with NuTonomy. After the early phases of the project are completed, it’s likely that the initiative will be expanded to other major cities across the world.
NuTonomy was founded in 2013 by former MIT engineers and has been helped by funding from the likes of the Singapore government and Highland Capital Partners, as well as Ford Chairman Bill Ford. In August last year, NuTonomy began rolling out self-driving taxis in the One-North business park in Singapore. That launch was preceded by Uber announcing that it will be launching self-driving taxis in Pittsburgh later that month, therefore NuTonomy beat Uber to that goal. Customers in Singapore were able to use an app developed by NuTonomy and order their rides free of charge, which is how the company was encouraging users to help test its solution. In related news, earlier this year Peugeot showcased its Instinct Project prototype vehicle that takes advantage of Samsung’s ARTIK Cloud platform.Shortly after, Peugeot added support for the Android Auto platform to nine of its vehicles while revealing plans to add more cars to its ecosystem in the near future.