Stellantis pursues aggressive autonomous driving goals with recent acquisition

This Thursday, global vehicle manufacturer Stellantis announced it will acquire the software company aiMotive to further the development of their autonomous driving platform.

Stellantis is relatively new to self-driving vehicle research, having just announced its current program last December. The automaker’s artificial intelligence and autonomous driving software is named STLA, which company leadership expects to be fully functional in 2024.

Some companies such as BMW are also investing in the technology, with some products commercially available. Ride-sharing platform Lyft just announced a robotaxi service in Los Angeles with autonomous driving developer Motional. However, most auto-piloting cars lack the full features necessary for a completely driverless vehicle. Tesla’s system, for example, does not stop at lights or signs, requiring owners to rely on it as more of an assistant rather than a replacement. While there is certainly enthusiasm amongst consumers, there is still hesitancy due to safety concerns.

The aiMotive team is well known in the industry for their driving and AI services, which include a simulated vehicle program for machine learning. The acquisition is part of Stellantis’s aggressive development strategy, funded by 30 billion euros in investments.

Autonomous driving has the potential to transform transportation, although the nature of that change will depend on technological advancements and limitations. However, early innovators in the field are most likely to have their investments pay off. Stellantis, the result of a merger between multiple longstanding car manufacturers, is now fully in the race with its competitors like Tesla, GM and Ford and could even outpace them in the coming decade.

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