DiDi Autonomous Driving, Valeo team up on building L4 Robotaxi safety solution

Beijing (Gasgoo)- DiDi Autonomous Driving, the autonomous driving technology arm of Chinese ride-hailing giant DiDi, signed a strategic cooperation and investment agreement with the French auto parts supplier Valeo on May 29.

Under the agreement, Valeo will make a strategic investment in DiDi Autonomous Driving and they will jointly develop intelligent safety solutions for Level 4 autonomous ride-share vehicles, also known as Robotaxis.

Signing ceremony; photo credit: DiDi Autonomous Driving

Moreover, the two companies will establish a joint R&D team to leverage their respective technological and resource advantages. The team will focus on creating an independent, cost-effective safety redundancy system that meets automotive industry standards and complements the main system of L4 standard technology that allows the Robotaxi to navigate autonomously and safely.

DiDi Autonomous Driving and Valeo aim to utilize the Automated Safety Pilot solution to enhance the dimensions and standards of the autonomous driving redundancy system in terms of software, hardware, and other aspects. Additionally, it will incorporate specialized safety designs for Robotaxi operations. The technology will enable the independent perception suite to take over and provide planning and control for the redundancy system in the event of an unexpected failure of the autonomous driving main system, ensuring passengers’ safety.

The intelligent safety solution will be applied to DiDi Autonomous Driving's Level 4 Robotaxis first, further strengthening the duo’s commitment to offering safe, reliable, comfortable, and cost-effective autonomous driving services for users.

Geoffrey BOUQUOT, Valeo Executive Vice President Strategy and CTO said, "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.”

According to Meng Xing, COO of DiDi Autonomous Driving, "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."