Two months after we assessed that the Volkswagen Group is the "leading western manufacturer" that signed an agreement with Mobileye to introduce its autonomous driving systems, the official announcement arrives, with some prestigious names in the automotive world. The second largest car manufacturer in the world (after Toyota) will acquire partial and high-level autonomous driving solutions from the Israeli company for mass-produced vehicles, based on SuperVision systems for autonomous driving at levels 2-3 and Chauffeur for level 4 driving (out of 5).
From 2026, these systems will allow Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Porsche brands to provide their drivers with advanced assistance systems for highway and urban driving, such as automatic lane change on multi-lane highways, autonomous stopping at traffic lights and stop signs, and support for driving without the need for driver intervention in interchanges and roundabouts.
A test vehicle to incorporate these systems in Porsche has already been documented in recent days by one of the surfers of the Walla Cars in Jerusalem, where Mobileye's headquarters are also located. It is a Cayenne GTS equipped with a LiDAR system on the roof, indicating the use of the company's SuperVision system, which includes the expensive sensor that enhances the activity of the electronic LiDAR, allowing for a longer range image creation and obstacle identification compared to a camera.
In addition, Mobileye will provide an additional technological layer for autonomous driving for the autonomous commercial vehicles of the Volkswagen Group. In the long term, the Volkswagen Group intends to rely on a comprehensive system in internal development: partnerships with Bosch and Qualcomm, with Horizon Robotics in China will continue in parallel. All driver assistance systems will be based on the software architecture developed by the Volkswagen Group's computing company, Cariad.
"Our goal is to offer our customers the world's leading products with the most innovative technology", said Oliver Blume, CEO of the Volkswagen Group and Porsche, in an official statement. "New options for autonomous driving will significantly improve comfort and safety. These options, tailored to our brands and products, will make every journey a personal and individual experience. Mobileye is a top partner and together we will shape the future of the automotive world".
The Volkswagen Group and Mobileye have been collaborating on advanced driver assistance systems for some time. In the future, Mobileye will provide technology to enable Level 2 autonomous driving within the Volkswagen Group. When this technology becomes available, subject to defined operational boundaries and in defined areas, drivers will be allowed to remove their hands from the steering wheel but must remain vigilant to road conditions and traffic and be ready to intervene at any time. In addition, Volkswagen is working with Mobileye on Level 3 autonomous driving solutions. At this level, the vehicle will be able to take over driving functions from the driver in defined areas and under defined operational boundaries, with the driver not required to continuously monitor the system. Each of the group's brands will be able to separately define the characteristics of autonomous driving, whether it will be calm or aggressive, for example.
Grade 4 autonomous driving systems, vehicles equipped with full autonomous driving capabilities where approved, but still equipped with steering wheels and pedals for driving when necessary, will come from the commercial vehicle group of Volkswagen, the manufacturer of the ID.BUZZ. The goal is to offer these vehicles in this configuration for transportation and ride-sharing services.
"We are proud to work closely with the Volkswagen Group and to make the future of driving safer, more autonomous, and more rewarding", said Prof. Amnon Shashua, president and CEO of Mobileye. "Through these projects, we see the Volkswagen Group leading the industry in providing advanced driving assistance technology powered by artificial intelligence to consumers worldwide, and developing new services with autonomous vehicles".
The announcement comes two days after Mobileye announced the closure of its aftermarket division, which provided the company's alert systems for vehicles manufactured without them, new or used. The market for installing these systems has greatly diminished in recent years after car manufacturers began installing them on production lines. The closure will lead to the dismissal of 130 Mobileye employees, 90 of whom are in Israel.