Valeo & DiDi Autonomous Driving to Jointly Develop Safety Solutions for Robotaxis

Valeo and China's DiDi Autonomous Driving have announced an agreement to jointly develop safety solutions for L4 robotaxis. Valeo also intends to invest in DiDi Autonomous Driving.

The two companies will bring together their expertise to provide passengers with safe, reliable, comfortable and cost-effective autonomous driving services.

To offer extra safety to users, they will complement the main system of L4 standard technology that allows the robotaxi to navigate  autonomously and safely, with another set of hardware and software.

This Automated Safety Pilot will provide redundancy to the main system in case of a sudden failure, as well as customised safety features designed for specific operation scenarios.

This intelligent safety solution will be initially deployed in DiDi Autonomous Driving’s L4 Robotaxis.

By investing in DiDi Autonomous Driving, Valeo says it intends to support the long-term development of a key player in the future of autonomous driving.

Geoffrey Bouquot, Valeo Executive Vice President Strategy and CTO, says: “Valeo has been developing leading technologies to reach and support L4 autonomous driving for many years. DiDi Autonomous Driving, with its strong focus on shared mobility, holds a leading edge in technology R&D and operational capabilities. Today, we are proud to sign this agreement to invest in DiDi Autonomous Driving and join our R&D efforts to develop safety solutions. This strategic partnership will contribute to Valeo’s commitment to offer solutions for smart, safe and affordable mobility.“

Meng Xing, COO of DiDi Autonomous Driving, adds: “We are fully committed to promoting the mass production and commercialization plan, in which safety has always been the first priority. Valeo has continued to innovate for a century, and has accumulated rich experience in mass production of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Driving Systems (ADS). The strategic partnership with Valeo enables us to achieve major breakthroughs in the standardizing and scaling of key modules of autonomous driving systems, to further improve the overall system safety of L4 Robotaxis, and to provide passengers with high-quality driverless mobility services. Together, we aim to  accelerate the commercialization of autonomous driving technology.”

France's Valeo offers technological and industrial leadership in electrification, driving assistance systems, reinvention of the interior experience and lighting everywhere.