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Ridehailing giants Bolt targets 25,000 autonomous Lucid vehicles for European cities
Bolt has announced plans to deploy at least 25,000 fully autonomous Lucid vehicles across major European cities under a strategic partnership between the two companies.
The proposed fleet will be based on Lucid’s forthcoming Midsize vehicle platform and is expected to use NVIDIA Hyperion, an autonomous vehicle reference architecture combining high-performance computing with a standardised sensor suite.
The programme forms part of Bolt’s wider ambition to have 100,000 autonomous vehicles available through its mobility platform by 2035. The Estonia-founded operator currently provides transport and shared mobility services across more than 850 cities.
Bolt intends to own and operate the Lucid fleet. Its responsibilities will include helping define vehicle requirements, safety systems, software and the passenger experience, as well as developing the infrastructure and local authority partnerships needed for commercial services.
The partnership will be managed by Bolt Autonomous Driving Solutions, its dedicated autonomous vehicle division. The unit will oversee the development, integration and commercial operation of the proposed services in Europe.
Lucid’s involvement will be led by Lucid Technologies, a newly established division bringing together the manufacturer’s artificial intelligence, advanced driver assistance, autonomous driving and digital technology operations.
Silvio Napoli, CEO of Lucid, said: “Shared autonomous mobility offers the perfect opportunity to extend our unique technology beyond consumer vehicles. Bolt’s reach and operating expertise make it an ideal partner to scale autonomous mobility across Europe. Together we will deliver an exceptional customer experience.”
Markus Villig, Founder and CEO of Bolt, said the companies would need to combine vehicle technology with European operating data and regulatory expertise.
Villig said: “Autonomous driving in Europe requires data, software, vehicles and operations to work as one system built for European roads and regulation.
“Lucid brings a world-class platform, and together, we will co-design the vehicle and software based on our data and more than a decade of operating experience across more than 850 cities. No one is better placed to operate autonomous mobility services efficiently at scale.”
The proposed vehicle will be designed to support SAE Level 4 automation. At that level, a vehicle can undertake the entire driving task without human intervention within defined operating areas and conditions.
Bolt and Lucid said they would work alongside autonomous-driving technology companies, regulators and policymakers to support deployment. European approval processes, differences between national transport laws and the practical integration of driverless vehicles into individual cities are likely to influence the pace and location of any rollout.
Neither company disclosed when passenger services are expected to begin, which cities will receive the vehicles first or the financial value of the agreement. Details of the technology partners providing the autonomous driving system beyond the expected use of NVIDIA Hyperion were also not announced.
