Valeo and DiDi Autonomous Driving announced a new strategic cooperation and investment agreement. Valeo intends to invest in DiDi Autonomous Driving and the two partners will develop intelligent-safety solutions for Level 4 robo-taxis together, according to a press release May 29.
Geoffrey Bouquot, Valeo executive vice president strategy and chief technology officer, said, "Valeo has been developing leading technologies to reach and support [Level 4] autonomous driving for many years. DiDi Autonomous Driving, with its strong focus on shared mobility, holds a leading edge in technology [research and development, or 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."
Significance: Valeo and DiDi Autonomous Driving intends to provide passengers with safe, reliable, comfortable and cost-effective autonomous driving services. By investing in DiDi Autonomous Driving, Valeo intends to take this strategic partnership one step further and support the long-term development of a key player in the future of autonomous driving.
In particular, they will set up a joint R&D team to work on safety systems for Level 4 robo-taxis. To offer extra safety to users, Valeo and DiDi Autonomous Driving will complement the main system of Level 4 standard technology that allows the robo-taxi 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 customized safety features designed for specific operation scenarios. This customized intelligent safety solution will be able to take over and control the robo-taxi to execute actions to ensure the safety of both passengers and other road users. This intelligent safety solution will be initially deployed in DiDi Autonomous Driving’s Level 4 robo-taxis.
