US electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Group and European mobility platform Bolt have announced plans to jointly develop self-driving services in Europe. Lucid, which went public in 2021 through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), will partner with Bolt to deploy 25,000 fully autonomous Lucid vehicles in European metropolises. This initiative is part of Bolt's plan to expand its autonomous fleet to 10,000 vehicles by 2035. Lucid's shares rose 5.5% in pre-market US trading following the announcement.
The vehicles will be based on Lucid's upcoming mid-size platform and utilize Nvidia's 'Hyperion' architecture for autonomous driving. The collaboration aims to develop a platform designed for automation level four, allowing the vehicles to drive without human intervention under certain conditions. Bolt will own and operate the fleet, with its autonomous division responsible for setting requirements for vehicles, software, and safety, as well as building infrastructure and partnerships with cities.
The robotaxi market in Europe is fiercely competitive. Companies such as Uber, Verne, and Pony.ai launched self-driving services in Zagreb, Croatia, in August. Alphabet's subsidiary Waymo is testing autonomous vehicles in Munich and plans to launch in Germany by the end of 2027.
