Nissan has announced a significant collaboration with the UK-based artificial intelligence startup Wayve, signaling a major step forward for its advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Beginning in 2027, the Japanese automaker plans to integrate Wayve's sophisticated self-driving software into its existing ProPilot ADAS. This partnership represents a landmark deal for Wayve, a company launched in 2017 that has already attracted over $1.3 billion in funding from high-profile investors including Nvidia, Microsoft, SoftBank Group, and Uber, underscoring the industry's confidence in its innovative approach. The enhanced ProPilot system will incorporate not only Wayve's software but also advanced sensors, notably including lidar sourced from an as-yet-undisclosed supplier. Nissan aims for this upgraded system to establish a "new standard for autonomous driving with advanced collision avoidance capability." The system slated for mass production by the 2027 target date is specified as a Level 2 system, according to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) classification. This means while the technology can automate multiple driving functions simultaneously, such as steering, braking, and acceleration, it mandates that the driver remains fully engaged and ready to assume control at any moment. Nissan has not yet specified which vehicle models will feature this next-generation ADAS. Wayve has garnered significant attention for its unique approach to automated driving technology, which relies on self-learning AI rather than traditional rules-based programming, drawing parallels to Tesla's methodology. The company has developed an end-to-end, data-driven learning system applicable to both "eyes on" assisted driving (like the Level 2 system planned with Nissan) and potentially "eyes off" fully automated systems in the future. A key differentiator, however, is Wayve's business model; unlike Tesla, Wayve intends to license its "Embodied AI" technology directly to automakers and other technology firms, positioning itself as a software partner within the industry. The appeal of Wayve's self-learning system for automakers lies significantly in its flexibility and potential cost-effectiveness. It is designed to be sensor-agnostic, meaning it doesn't depend on specific, proprietary hardware or high-definition (HD) maps, which are often costly to create and maintain. Instead, Wayve's software can effectively utilize data captured from existing, common vehicle sensors like cameras and radar to directly inform its driving decisions. Furthermore, while Wayve's own development vehicles currently utilize Nvidia's powerful Orin system-on-chip, co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall has emphasized that the software is adaptable and can run efficiently on the graphics processing units (GPUs) that its OEM partners already integrate into their vehicles. This adaptability translates to software that is potentially cheaper to implement and operate across various applications, including ADAS, robotaxis, and even robotics. Nissan spokesperson Shiro Nagai highlighted the capabilities of Wayve's Embodied AI foundation model, noting its training on extensive real-world driving data allows the software to generalize and adapt across different driving environments and vehicle platforms. This adaptability is crucial for deploying the technology globally in diverse conditions. Nagai expressed confidence in the synergy between the two companies, stating, "Leveraging Nissan’s technology and Wayve’s AI, we are confident it will allow future Nissan vehicles to closely replicate the judgment and actions of a careful and competent human driver in complex driving scenarios." This partnership points towards a future where AI significantly enhances vehicle safety and driver assistance, moving closer to mimicking nuanced human driving capabilities within the defined constraints of Level 2 automation.
