NuTonomy, the MIT spinoff that provides software and algorithms for self-driving cars, has struck a deal with Peugeot-maker Groupe PSA to test autonomous vehicles in Singapore, nuTonomy and Groupe PSA wrote in a statement Wednesday.
Specifically, Cambridge-based nuTonomy will install its software, along with specialized sensors and computing platforms, into Peugeot 3008 SUV vehicles that have been customized by Groupe PSA’s innovation teams.
NuTonomy said it expects to complete the integration of its autonomous vehicle system this summer, with on-road testing of the self-driving 3008s beginning in Singapore in September.
Autonomous driving in urban areas requires a bespoke approach to vehicle design to help a car navigate inner-city obstacles, said Anne Laliron, Head of the Business Lab at PSA Group, in an interview with Reuters.
"That is the reason we jump on the opportunity to work with nuTonomy," Laliron told Reuters today.
NuTonomy has been conducting public trials of an on-demand self-driving car service in Singapore since August 2016. Last year, the company raised a $16 million Series A round to launch a fleet of driverless taxis in Singapore in 2018. The round was led by new investor Highland Capital Partners, with participation from existing investors Fontinalis Partners, Samsung Ventures and Signal Ventures.
“We’re confident that working with Groupe PSA will bring us closer to our goal of deploying a safe, efficient, fully autonomous mobility-on-demand transportation service for urban driving environments,” Karl Iagnemma, CEO and co-founder of nuTonomy, said in a statement.
Following the initial phase of the partnership, Groupe PSA and nuTonomy said they will consider expanding their on-road driverless car testing initiative to other major cities around the world.
The Paris-based Group PSA, which had a revenue of €54 billion in 2016, is the automobile manufacturer of Peugeot, Citroën and DS.
