Stellantis and Wayve Team Up to Bring Hands-Free Driving to Cars by 2028

Stellantis, a major global car company, announced a partnership with Wayve, a British software startup, to add self-driving technology to Stellantis vehicles starting in 2028. The two companies will work together to bring hands-free driving to Stellantis cars — meaning the car can steer, speed up, and brake on its own, though you still need to stay alert and ready to take over if needed.

The plan is ambitious: Stellantis wants to put this technology in 90 percent of its cars by 2028. That's a bigger commitment than most carmakers have made so far. The partnership covers both highway driving and city driving, which is harder because there are pedestrians, traffic lights, and unexpected obstacles to navigate.

How the Technology Works

Wayve's AI software will be built into Stellantis' vehicle computer system, called the STLA AutoDrive platform. This means it will work across all of Stellantis' brands — Jeep, Ram, Peugeot, Citroën, and Fiat.

The level of automation here sits in the middle ground. It's more capable than today's cruise control and lane-keeping systems, but it's not fully self-driving. You have to pay attention and be ready to take control. In technical terms, this is called "Level 2++" — more hands-free than current systems, but still supervised by the driver.

Wayve builds its software differently than many competitors. Instead of relying on pre-drawn maps of roads and complex rule-based instructions, Wayve's AI learns from watching real driving situations. It processes what cameras see and adapts to new roads and conditions on the fly.

Why This Matters

Stellantis is the parent company of familiar brands, so this deal could affect millions of drivers in Europe and beyond. The 2028 timeline gives the companies time to test everything thoroughly and deal with government regulations in different countries.

The partnership also means Wayve is now working with three major automakers. Nissan and Mercedes-Benz have already signed on. On top of that, Wayve made a deal with Uber in August 2024 to develop self-driving cars for ride-sharing. This suggests Wayve's approach is gaining traction across the industry.

Real-World Challenges Ahead

Rolling out this technology across so many different markets won't be simple. Regulations differ country by country. Roads in Europe look different from roads in other parts of the world. And drivers in different regions have different comfort levels with letting a car drive itself.

City driving is harder than highway driving because there's more to pay attention to — construction zones, emergency vehicles, people crossing streets. The car's sensors have to be very good at spotting problems and knowing when to hand control back to the driver.

Safety systems that watch the driver — to make sure you're actually paying attention — will be critical. If the car is in charge and something goes wrong, the law needs to be clear about who is responsible. Different countries are still figuring out the rules.

Looking at how automakers have adopted new technologies over the past 30 years, partnerships that last tend to work better than one-time software deals. Companies that stick together and keep improving the technology together produce better results. This deal between Stellantis and Wayve is built for the long term, which is a positive sign.

What Comes Next

For Stellantis, the benefit is clear: it gets advanced AI technology without having to build it all from scratch. For Wayve, the benefit is access to Stellantis' factories and distribution network, which will help it reach customers faster.

If this partnership succeeds, it could become a template for how other carmakers build self-driving features. But success depends on whether Wayve can deliver the technology reliably across Stellantis' many brands and different countries. The next few years will tell us whether this is how the auto industry moves forward on self-driving cars.