Swedish EV manufacturer NEVS and autonomous vehicle start-up AutoX are collaborating to introduce the first large scale RoboTaxi pilots in Europe by the end of 2020.
The companies announced last week that they plan to integrate AutoX ́s Autonomous Drive technology in NEVS’ next-generation vehicle architecture. NEVS is currently developing the vehicle.
“AutoX enables companies like NEVS to become autonomous by creating an A.I. driver which is tailored to the specific geolocation it is in; adopting local driving styles, while also navigating in urban and dynamic conditions.”
“AutoX enables companies like NEVS to become autonomous by creating an A.I. driver which is tailored to the specific geolocation it is in; adopting local driving styles, while also navigating in urban and dynamic conditions. We are proud to start deploying our technology together with a global OEM that really takes the mobility revolution seriously,” says Jianxiong Xiao (a.k.a. Professor X), founder and CEO of AutoX, in a statement.
NEVS’ zero-emission vehicle is designed for sustainability. By boosting utilization rates through the potential of 24/7 mobility services, the robo-taxi would address the pitfalls of car dependency such as air pollution and congestion, according to Xiao.
“Already at our first meeting in Silicon Valley, we were not only impressed by the performance and maturity of AutoX’s AD stack, but also saw a perfect partner in terms of approaching the market and shared corporate values,” said Stefan Tilk, CEO of NEVS, in a statement.
Only two companies in the world are permitted by the California Public Utilities Commission to operate a RoboTaxi pilot program and AutoX is one of them. While the current focus partnership with NEVS is on building a robo-taxi fleet in Europe, the companies plan to work together to deploy robo-taxis globally.
