Electric car maker VinFast has said in a statement it would be partnering with Israeli AI firm Autobrains to upgrade its autonomous driving technology and launch a lower-cost “robo-car” system.
The two companies are developing a “new autonomous vehicle architecture capable of transforming virtually any car into a self-driving ‘robo-car’”, VinFast said in the statement.
The system will rely mainly on cameras, rather than more expensive technologies such as LiDAR sensors and radar arrays.
VinFast and Autobrains will also work to gradually integrate more advanced autonomous capabilities into VinFast’s whole product line, it said, including its VF 8 and VF 9 sport utility models.
Autobrains did not immediately reply to AFP’s request for comment.
VinFast is part of the Vingroup conglomerate, which is owned by Vietnam’s richest man Pham Nhat Vuong and is the country’s first homegrown EV maker.
It listed on the Nasdaq in 2023 as part of a global expansion bid to compete with EV giants such as Tesla and is trying to crack markets in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the United States and Canada.
VinFast’s e-scooters, e-cars and e-buses are ubiquitous in the country of 100 million people.
While truly driverless cars remain some way off, progress in the sector has been rapid, with major US players Tesla and Waymo testing robotaxi services, as are their Chinese rivals.
Last month, Japan’s Nissan said it would integrate AI-powered systems made by autonomous driving firm Wayve into vehicles. — AFP
