Stellantis is pumping the brakes on its long-planned and long-overdue Level 3 autonomous driving system called AutoDrive. A new report says that the high costs of the L3 program, tech challenges, and concern that buyers won’t want the hands-off and eyes-off system have led the company to press the pause button. But Stellantis officials are saying it might still be ready for when the market wants it.
AutoDrive On Life Support, Says Report
Three sources familiar with the AutoDrive program told Reuters that the system was being shelved. The company has been suffering from a rough year of low sales, big turnover at the highest levels, and failed launches including the Dodge Charger Daytona EV. There is a serious push to cut costs as the company lost $2.7 billion in the first half of this year.
The most recent news from Stellantis was positive. In February, the automaker said that STLA AutoDrive, the name for its Level 3 hands-off/eyes-off driver assist, was ready to go. The automaker said that it would let drivers watch movies or read books, and that the system was “ready for deployment.” We expected to find it in vehicles not long after the announcement.
Stellantis said its Level 3 system could work at night and in inclement weather, but only at up to 37 miles per hour. The only other similar system approved in the US, Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot, is also speed-limited. They’re meant to be hands-off in heavy and slow traffic, not in normal highway driving. Higher speeds were to come later. This Level 3 system should not be confused with Active Driving Assist, the Stellantis Level 2+ hands-off but eyes-on answer to GM’s Super Cruise and Ford’s BlueCruise.
According to Reuters, Stellantis would not put a price tag on the AutoDrive initiative. It also said that this wasn’t necessarily a loss, as the investment would help support future versions of the system.
Feature Was First Announced In 2021 For 2024 Launch
AutoDrive was first announced in 2021 by then-CEO Carlos Tavares. He described Level 2, 2+, and Level 3 autonomous driving systems that would be developed in partnership with BMW. It was one of a trio of advanced tech features that were to be launched in 2024. The first was an over-the-air update-capable tech platform called STLA Brain, and the second was powered by a partnership with Foxconn to create SmartCockpit AI-based navigation and other apps. SmartCockpit became a partnership with Amazon that has since ended, and Stellantis is moving to an Android OS-based system.
“Our electrification and software strategies will support the shift to become a sustainable mobility tech company to lead the pack, leveraging the associated business growth with over-the-air features and services and delivering the best experience to our customers,” Tavares said at the time. “With the three all-new, AI-powered, technology platforms to arrive in 2024, deployed across the four STLA vehicle platforms, we will leverage the speed and agility associated with the decoupling of hardware and software cycles.”
Stellantis said in 2021 that it expected to earn $23 billion in annual revenue from software products and subscriptions by the end of the decade. We’ve reached out to Stellantis to find out more about the plans for AutoDrive going forward.
Source: Reuters