Jaguar Land Rover and Nvidia pair up for AI, driver-assist features

All Jaguars, Land Rovers, and Range Rovers will be built around a new ‘software-defined’ platform developed with California-based AI and computing giant Nvidia, from 2025 onwards.

The partnership announced today is intended to give JLR’s future cars a “wide spectrum” of active safety, driver assist and automated driving functions; in-car AI occupant monitoring; and new interior visualisation functions – perhaps incorporating augmented reality.

Future JLRs will use Nvidia’s DRIVE Hyperion developer platform featuring the full software stack for autonomous driving (DRIVE AV) and driver monitoring (DRIVE IX), with over-the-air updates. The DRIVE Orin AI brain will run the familiar JLR operating system interface.

In layman’s terms, the new Jaguars and Range Rovers will take a leaf from software-led auto OEMs like Tesla, with software over-the-air in particular to change the game by keeping the hardware in cars fresh just like your phone – hopefully without slowing down…

NVIDIA says its AI in this form computes data sourced from 12 exterior cameras, three interior cameras, nine radars, 12 ultrasonics, and one front-facing LiDAR, plus one LiDAR for ground truth data collection.

“Collaboration and knowledge-sharing with industry leader NVIDIA is essential to realising our Reimagine strategy, setting new benchmarks in quality, technology and sustainability,” said JLR chief Thierry Bolloré.

“Jaguar Land Rover will become the creator of the world’s most desirable luxury vehicles and services for the most discerning customers. Our long-term strategic partnership with NVIDIA will unlock a world of potential for our future vehicles as the business continues its transformation into a truly global, digital powerhouse.”

Meanwhile, the Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said “fleets of software-defined, programmable cars will offer new functionalities and services for the life of the vehicles”.

“We are thrilled to partner with Jaguar Land Rover to reimagine the future of transportation and create the most advanced cars.”

The tie-up announced today forms part of JLR’s so-called “Reimagine” business plan, with the ultimate goal being net-zero carbon emissions across its supply chain, products and operations by 2039.

Steps promised on the journey include the relaunch of Jaguar as battery EV-only from 2025, the launch of six BEV Land Rovers inside the next five years with the first due in 2024, and in a more macro sense prioritising profit and quality (a weak point) over chasing volume.

“Our vision is clear… to become the creator of the world’s most desirable luxury vehicles and services for the most discerning of customers,” Mr Bolloré added.

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