BMW and Valeo Announce Partnership to Deliver Level 4 Automated Parking Experiences
BMW Group and Valeo are taking their long-standing partnership to the next level with a new automated parking experience.
BMW and Valeo have announced a partnership for the co-development of fully automated parking technologies up to Level 4.1. This strategic cooperation will focus on the joint development of high-end parking user experience for customers on private grounds and parking facilities.
The announcement follows the earlier collaboration for advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) domain controller, sensors, and software for parking and maneuvering for BMW’s upcoming platform generation “Neue Klasse” platform.
The co-development of these automated parking solutions will involve more than 100 R&D specialists from both companies over the duration of the collaboration. The software functions are based on the current automated parking software stack first launched in 2021 with the BMW iX SUV. In the Neue Klasse, the software will be further extended by a powerful computing platform hosting the jointly developed algorithms.
What is Automated Valet Parking?
Automated Valet Parking (AVP) offers drivers and passengers a fully automated and driverless parking experience. At a drop-off zone, the driver leaves the car, and the vehicle takes over tasks such as autonomously finding a parking spot, performing the necessary maneuvers for parking, and can also drive back to a pick-up zone to meet its awaiting driver.
To optimize the use of the parking time, additional services like fully automated charging or washing can be enabled. Such functionalities offer real customer benefits in terms of convenience and safety.
According to the draft of an upcoming ISO standard, AVP solutions will be clustered in two main categories, Type 1 and Type 2 systems. For a Type 1 system, the necessary technologies, including all sensors, computing units, and algorithms run on the vehicle while for a Type 2 system, the required technologies, including sensors and the AVP management system are installed in the relevant infrastructure, e.g. parking facility where the vehicle is controlled by the infrastructure.
“This joint development is an important milestone for the BMW Group with regards to our next generation of automated driving and parking,” said Nicolai Martin, Senior Vice President Driving Experience, BMW Group. “With scalable L4 parking experiences, we confirm and strengthen our leading position in this domain. We aim to continue delivering world-class driving and parking experiences to our customers.”
“The co-development and deployment of Automated Parking solutions will permit Level 4 driverless operation in BMW’s upcoming series production vehicles. Other automakers will be able to join this platform, with BMW once again setting the standard for the most intuitive and pleasant user experience that its customers rightly expect.”, said Marc Vrecko, President of Valeo’s Comfort and Driving Assistance Systems Business Group.
Neither company provided details regarding the cost of the AVP solution, or any facilities targeted for rollout the automated parking solution. Luxury automakers, however, continue to focus on the customer experience with their vehicles. Hotels, airports, business parks, and travel and leisure facilities are some of the likeliest candidates for the initial deployment of AVP.
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