volvo’s flagship electric suv will come with luminar’s lidar and software as standard

Volvo and Luminar Expand Autonomous Driving Collaboration

Volvo Cars and Luminar Technologies are strengthening their existing partnership. An announcement made on Thursday detailed that Luminar’s complete autonomous driving system – encompassing both hardware and software, including lidar sensors and a unique perception system – will be a standard feature on Volvo’s upcoming all-electric flagship SUV.

Previous Agreement and Current Changes

Luminar initially revealed a production agreement with Volvo in May of the previous year. However, the initial plan involved Luminar’s system being an optional upgrade for the flagship vehicle, adding to the overall cost. Now, the system will be integrated into every vehicle as a standard component.

Highway Pilot Functionality and Costs

Despite the standard inclusion of the Luminar system, customers desiring the Highway Pilot functionality will still incur an additional charge. This feature, designed for highway use, allows for fully autonomous operation, removing the need for driver monitoring – a capability exceeding many currently available systems, according to a source with knowledge of the technology.

Highway Pilot represents the highest level of autonomy offered by the system. Activation of this functionality will occur wirelessly, contingent upon verified safe driving conditions, as stated by Luminar in a press release.

Standard Safety Features Included

A range of essential safety features, such as automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist, will be included without extra cost. These features are designed to address the primary causes of vehicle accidents.

Benefits for Luminar

This expanded partnership represents a significant advantage for Luminar. Beyond increased production volumes, the company will gain access to extensive real-world driving data. This data will be crucial for refining and improving its autonomous driving stack.

The system’s capability for over-the-air updates will ensure drivers benefit from ongoing improvements and enhanced intelligence over time.

Pricing and Availability of Highway Pilot

Volvo has not yet disclosed the pricing structure for the Highway Pilot add-on. It remains unclear whether it will be offered as a one-time purchase or through a subscription model.

However, Volvo confirmed that all vehicles will be equipped with the necessary hardware to support unsupervised autonomous driving once it becomes available.