Self-Driving Tech Startup Leverages AI, Licenses System to Automakers

Self-driving startup Nuro is pivoting its strategy by licensing its autonomous driving technology to automakers and mobility providers, marking a significant shift in its business model. This decision aims to deploy the Nuro Driver technology in diverse applications ranging from passenger cars and ride-hailing taxis to delivery robots.

Nuro, a Silicon Valley company, is making its Nuro Driver available for licensing in a move the firm describes as a major evolution from its previous focus on developing and delivering autonomous delivery robots. Despite facing challenges in recent years, including two rounds of job cuts and restructuring plans, Nuro asserts that they are in a healthy position to expand their business model.

Previously, Nuro’s focus was on autonomous delivery robots, securing notable partnerships with Uber Eats and FedEx among others. The company now believes that its technology is mature enough to be utilized in a wider range of vehicles, including those with automation levels from Level 2 to Level 4, as classified by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). While Level 2 involves multiple driver assistance features, Level 4 represents vehicles that can operate autonomously within specific operational domains without human intervention.

The Nuro Driver system, powered by Nvidia’s Drive Thor chip and Arm’s Neoverse CPU, will be packaged with automotive-grade hardware and AI-powered self-driving software. Tailored for specific use cases, this system will also be offered with a platform of development tools, aiming to facilitate rapid scaling and safe operations on public roads. Nuro highlights the system’s reliability, citing over one million autonomous miles completed by its research and development fleet without any at-fault accidents, backed by redundant systems and a parallel autonomy stack.

Jiajun Zhu, Nuro’s co-founder and CEO, stated, “It’s not a question of if but when Level 4 autonomy will become widespread. We believe Nuro is positioned to be a major contributor to this autonomous future where mobility for people and goods is free-flowing.”

The move follows similar strategies by other companies in the self-driving tech space, such as Wayve, which entered a partnership with Uber to develop self-driving cars. Notably, Nuro emphasizes its status as “commercially independent,” which could make it an attractive option for automakers seeking autonomous driving systems.

While the announcement did not include details of confirmed partnerships with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Nuro’s strategic pivot underscores its commitment to becoming a key player in the autonomous vehicle industry.