BMW to Deploy 40 Autonomous 7 Series Test Cars in Europe and US
BMW will launch a fleet of around 40 self-driving 7 Series prototypes on public roads across Europe and the US before mid-2017, advancing its collaboration with Intel and Mobileye.
BMW will put around 40 autonomous 7 Series prototypes on public roads in Europe and the United States before the middle of 2017. The move marks the next phase in its partnership with Intel and Mobileye, as the group accelerates development of self-driving technology for future production models.
The fleet will use the current 7 Series as its platform, equipped with a modular autonomous architecture jointly developed by the three partners. BMW is responsible for vehicle dynamics, safety evaluation, prototype production and integration, while Intel supplies the high-performance computing hardware. Mobileye provides the sensor processing and interpretation, drawing on its expertise in vision-based driver assistance systems.
Testing on public roads is aimed at gathering real-world data to refine the algorithms and systems required for higher levels of automation. The project is intended to lay the groundwork for BMW’s future models with advanced self-driving capabilities, including the planned iNext flagship, which is scheduled to arrive in 2021 as the group’s showcase for autonomous technology.
Focus on data and scalability
BMW’s aim is not only to demonstrate autonomous driving but also to collect the vast quantities of data needed to train and validate its systems. The modular platform developed with Intel and Mobileye is designed for scalability, meaning it could be adopted by other manufacturers in future. The company has stated that the architecture is open to third parties, reflecting a wider industry trend towards partnerships in the race to commercialise self-driving cars.
The test fleet will also help BMW prepare for the eventual rollout of “highly automated” vehicles across its range. This trial follows earlier autonomous prototypes based on the 5 Series, shown at CES, but the 7 Series fleet represents a larger and more public step. For more on the development of the 7 Series platform, see 2016 BMW 7 Series Spied Testing With Lighter Platform.
Partners’ roles in the autonomous project
- BMW: Vehicle dynamics, safety, prototype production, integration
- Intel: High-performance computing hardware
- Mobileye: Processing and interpretation of vision sensor data
