Audi and Nvidia Working on Fully Autonomous Car for 2020 Rollout

Audi and Nvidia have announced they are working together to bring a fully self-driving car to the consumer market by the year 2020.

The announcement came on Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the two companies outlined their vision for a fully autonomous vehicle. German automaker Audi hopes to be one of the first automakers to achieve the feat, and is banking on U.S. graphics chipmaker Nvidia's artificial intelligence car computing platform, which uses deep learning to negotiate complex real-road conditions.

small-612-audi-q7-piloted-driving-concept

Audi's Q7 Piloted Driving Concept.

"Nvidia is pioneering the use of deep learning AI to revolutionize transportation," Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said. "Audi's adoption of our Drive computing platform will accelerate the introduction of next-generation automated vehicles, moving us closer to a future of greater driving safety and new mobility services."

To offer a taste of the results of their collaboration, Audi has been demoing its Q7 Piloted Driving Concept, which is fitted with Nvidia's Drive PX 2 processor. The companies claim that after four days of "training", equipped vehicles are able to drive themselves over a complex road course, thanks to the PX 2 chip's ability to learn on the fly without recourse to pre-mapped routes.

Audi and Nvidia have been working together for almost a decade, but the announcement at this year's CES is an indication of just how far the collaboration has come. Originally the partnership was limited to using Nvidia's graphics processors in Audi's virtual cockpit and navigation systems, but ambitions have since grown, and Audi said it will begin expanding its testing of the highly automated, artificial intelligence-equipped vehicles on public roads in California and select states in 2018.

For Nvidia's part, the traditionally GPU-focused company has been working on autonomous vehicle systems for several years now and has rolled out development platforms and agreed partnerships with over 80 automakers and suppliers to realize its self-driving goals. In September the company introduced Xavier, a complete AI system on a chip for self-driving cars that's designed to meet international functional safety standards for in-car electronics.

Apple is thought to have refocused its car project recently. The company has shelved plans to build an electric car for now, and is instead working to build a self-driving software platform for use in vehicles made by established automakers. In December of last year, Apple confirmed its interest in the autonomous car market, in a letter to federal regulators urging them to ensure fair competition and equal rights for "new entrants" in the industry.

Tags: Audi, Nvidia

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 17's 'Awe Dropping' Accessories

Friday August 29, 2025 8:12 am PDT by
Following the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Awe dropping" event, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we talk through all of the new accessories rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 17 lineup. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos We take a closer look at Apple's invite for "Awe dropping;" the design could hint at the iPhone 17's new thermal system with ...

Top Rated Comments

jdillings Avatar
113 months ago
The last thing I want is a car that is dependent on Nvidia drivers
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tibi08 Avatar
113 months ago
Didn't realise Nvidia was a player in this market, let alone a leader. How on earth did they get an edge over Apple with all the cash, talent and other resources it has behind it?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
diipii Avatar
113 months ago
Nvidia can. Apple can't. The cool is evaporating faster.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
113 months ago
Yep - says a lot about Apple, doesn't it? Too much focus on damned watches, thinness and trying to be "cool" etc.
Well, it would be one thing IF Apple was actually focused on watches... or any of it's products. But it's really just farting out ordinary product these days and spraying with flowery descriptions to cover up the stink. AirPods might be the lone exception of late - a truly neat and buzz worthy product. (Yes, not without faults, but even great products are not perfect first gen).
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Supermule Avatar
113 months ago
Finally Elon Musk/Tesla is getting some competition - good for all of us :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mike1524 Avatar
113 months ago
Didn't realise Nvidia was a player in this market, let alone a leader. How on earth did they get an edge over Apple with all the cash, talent and other resources it has behind it?
That's how automakers work. They rely on suppliers that develop the tech they need anonymously - and serve them as customers, not the end customer. Apple would probably not be humble enough or controllable enough for an automaker to allow itself to depend on them as a single-source.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)