Lucid targets industry-first self-driving car technology with Nvidia

Lucid Group The company said Tuesday it is aiming for a new goal that would make it the first automaker to offer highly advanced autonomous driving capabilities in its vehicles in the coming years.

The all-electric vehicle maker expects to launch what it calls “mindless” driving, in which a car can essentially drive itself under normal conditions without the need for a human to monitor or intervene, unless there is a change in conditions such as severe weather. This would be something like a passenger playing a card game or watching TV while driving.

Lucid said Tuesday it plans to leverage Nvidia“Drive AV” platform for the upcoming system and a multi-sensor suite that includes cameras, radar and lidar (or light detection and sensing, which allows the vehicle to better “see” its surroundings).

Marc Winterhoff, Lucid’s interim CEO, said the plan is to launch the new system “absolutely in the coming years,” but he declined to specify an exact time frame other than it wouldn’t be in 2026. He said the system was initially planned for Lucid’s upcoming mid-size vehicle before being expanded to other models.

“I want to make sure that we can deliver this to our customers in what I think is a very ambitious timeframe, but also be realistic,” Winterhoff told CNBC. “The main reason I decided not to start from scratch, but just do it ourselves, is just because it’s marketing time. … Plus, it’s going to cost a lot of money.”

While Winterhoff says Nvidia’s technologies will be the catalyst for the system, Lucid plans to actually implement autonomous driving technology.

Meanwhile, Winterhoff said Lucid plans to continue increasing automated technologies in its existing vehicles, such as the Air sedan and Gravity SUV, in partnership with Nvidia.

“This will be a stepping stone,” said Winterhoff, who has served as interim CEO since company founder Peter Rawlinson left as CEO in February.

Many companies including General Engines And Tesla’sThey promised personal driverless cars but failed to deliver. Automakers have invested billions of dollars in autonomous vehicles in recent years, and many have pulled back on spending after years of trying to implement the technologies.

What Lucid is aiming to bring to market is what the industry calls “Level 4: Higher Driving Automation.” As described by SAE International, Level 4 technologies, formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, must not require monitoring or human intervention under certain, but not all, conditions.

There are currently a limited number of Level 4 vehicles on US highways. Most importantly, AlphabetWaymo operates robotaxis in several cities. Lucid says it plans to be the first for a consumer-facing tool.

Achieving such a system for Lucid would be daunting, especially given its track record with advanced driver assistance system, or ADAS.

The company, by its own admission, failed to meet its customers’ expectations. Systems capable of hands-free driving, such as those offered by many companies, have been slow to come to market or compete with GM’s “Super Cruise” or GM’s “Level 2” technologies. Tesla’s “Autopilot” or “FSD.”

Meanwhile, it’s expected to be a record year for EV sales, but demand for fully electric cars is expected to decline as federal incentives of up to $7,500 expire.

Lucid announced plans for autonomous technology, as well as other initiatives, in conjunction with the Nvidia GTC global AI conference taking place this week in Washington, DC.