Wayve’s self-driving technology is aimed at US vehicles manufactured by Stellantis

Stellantis, the automaker behind the Jeep and Ram brands, has commissioned Wayve to bring hands-free driving to its fleet by 2028.

The companies announced the deal Thursday at Stellantis’ financial day at its North American headquarters in Michigan.

This is the second automaker deal for the exciting start-up from the UK and comes after a $1.2 billion Series D round that attracted deep-pocketed investors, including Nissan and Stellantis, as well as backers Microsoft, Nvidia, and Uber.

Wayve did not comment on the value of the contract or provide information on how Stellantis vehicles will receive the self-driving “brain” developed by Wayve, but according to Wayve CEO Alex Kendall, this is a commercial agreement to provide Stellantis with technology on a large scale. The company is targeting the North American market first, which helps reduce Stellantis’ 14 divisions, which also include Chrysler and Dodge.

“One of the amazing things about Stellantis is the global scope that they work in, and the diversity of the products that they offer,” Kendall told TechCrunch when explaining the startup’s opportunities. “It’s one of the reasons why it works so well because our AI is very flexible; we can adapt to the different things that they provide, and that means that because of the different types, the shape of the car, the different driving styles, the different areas that go in our AI is designed to cover all of them.”

By 2028, there may be more cars to choose from. Stellantis announced Thursday that it plans to expand its North American market by introducing 11 new vehicles by 2030 as part of its $70 billion transformation plan.

Seven of these vehicles were purchased under $40,000, and two under $30,000, Stellantis said.

It is unclear whether the Wave technology will appear in low-cost cars and SUVs. Although, if one were to take Wayve’s attention, it would seem to make sense.

Wayve has developed a self-driving system that isn’t tied to sensors, chips, or conventional maps, which low-cost automakers like Nissan — and now Stellantis — have found interesting. Instead, Wayve’s software uses a neural network endpoint that automatically uses data – collected from every sensor on the car – to guide and teach the car how to drive. Wayve’s software can also use any chip that OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) already have in their vehicles.

Wayve’s technology supports two products that the company is selling to automakers and technology companies – a self-driving system similar to Tesla Full Self-Driving (Manager) and eventually a driverless system designed for robotaxis or passenger cars.

Stellantis will use the hands-on, eye-catching, shape-shifting design to create the automaker in just two months, Kendall said. He said that within a few weeks the engineers had the car – using an AI-based system – up and running.

“I think what we’ve been showing is that we’ve been able to create a model of FSD that’s built on a model of AI that’s really set up to be mainstream,” Kendall said when asked how Wayve compares to Tesla’s system. “It can integrate with different computers, different sensors, different vehicles, shapes, and sizes.”