Germany’s ZF has taken five per cent share in Oxbotica, a leader in autonomous vehicle software. The two companies have also signed a strategic partnership agreement to develop a Level 4 self-driving system which will initially be deployed in passenger shuttles in major cities around the world.
They started working together in 2019, with UK-based Oxbotica completing integration of its autonomous vehicle software with ZF’s ProAI, an AI capable automotive-grade compute platform, and ZF’s Full-Range Radar.
Ahead of the autonomous shuttle deployments, they will work closely together to continue to develop the technology and on validation and verification of the integrated self-driving vehicle system.
Torsten Gollewski, Executive Vice President, Autonomous Mobility Systems at ZF, says “The entry investment of five per cent underlines our confidence in Oxbotica’s capabilities. Together with Oxbotica, we are developing self-driving systems for autonomous people and cargo movers addressing the current challenges in public transport and logistics.”
Paul Newman, co-founder and CTO of Oxbotica, adds: “Partnering with ZF in developing an on-road passenger and goods transportation solution is an important milestone in Oxbotica’s commercial autonomy strategy. Our product will bring new options to cities and transport operators around the globe who must solve the complex mobility challenges of the future. The way people and goods move is changing.”
ZF is also expanding its range of products for autonomous and electric shuttle systems. The group is not only offering the shuttle vehicles themselves, but also all the supplementary services required for the planning, implementation, operation, maintenance, and repair of autonomous passenger transport systems.
ZF is directing its offer to cities and urban mobility operators to accelerate the expansion of this important mobility option.
