Lucid (LCID) and Nvidia (NVDA) announced that the two companies are teaming up to bring Level 4 autonomous driving, akin to a Waymo robotaxi, to future Lucid vehicles.
From its GTC event in Washington, DC, Nvidia said on Tuesday that “mind-free” autonomous driving will be coming to Lucid’s upcoming midsize vehicle, powered by Nvidia’s DRIVE AGX computers and DriveOS. The Level 4 autonomous tech means these new Lucid vehicles will be fully self-driving when engaged, but only when certain conditions are met, similar to how Waymo robotaxis fully function in defined geographic areas.
For comparison, Level 5 — the highest version of autonomous driving under the Society of Automotive Engineers framework — denotes a system that can drive in any situation.
Lucid’s upcoming midsize vehicle is set to debut in 2026.
Lucid stock surged 5% after the announcement.
“As vehicles evolve into software-defined supercomputers on wheels, a new opportunity emerges — to reimagine mobility with intelligence at every turn,” Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said in a statement. “Together with Lucid, we’re accelerating the future of autonomous, AI-powered transportation, built on Nvidia’s full-stack automotive platform.”
“Now, we’re taking the next step by combining cutting-edge AI with Lucid’s engineering excellence to deliver the smartest and safest autonomous vehicles on the road,” Lucid interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said. “Partnering with Nvidia, we’re proud to continue powering American innovation leadership in the global quest for autonomous mobility.”
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Prior to the Level 4 roll-out, Lucid will use Nvidia’s DRIVE AV to bring “Level 2+” hands-free driving to its Gravity SUV. Examples of current hands-free driving systems are Tesla’s FSD, GM’s Super Cruise, and Ford’s Blue Cruise.
Lucid said both technologies will be rolling out to customers “starting in the next few years.”
Earlier this summer, Lucid partnered with Uber (UBER) on a robotaxi service that would use Lucid EVs summoned from Uber’s platform. The Lucid robotaxis will be powered by autonomous tech firm Nuro’s Level 4 driving software. Lucid said the company is following two paths when it comes to autonomous tech, using Nuro’s solution for B2B environments like robotaxis, and Nvidia’s for non-commercial, customer use.
In addition to the autonomous partnership, Lucid is implementing features like predictive analytics, robotics, and process optimization into its manufacturing through Nvidia’s Industrial platform product.