Navya and Lohr Announce Strategic Partnership to Expedite Technological, Industrial and Commercial Development in Autonomous Mobility Field
NAVYA, a pioneer in autonomous mobility systems, has formed a strategic partnership with Lohr, a global industrial group known for its expertise in the design, manufacture, and marketing of systems for the transportation of people and goods.
The alliance's formation corresponds with a surge in global demand for autonomous mobility solutions, along with the associated design, certification, and industrialisation challenges.
Once the initial validation of the technical and commercial feasibility phase is achieved, the Navy and Lohr will develop a cooperative roadmap for automating and serialising currently available rolling bases. The partnership's self-driving vehicles will allow both parties to broaden and diversify their product portfolios with certified mobility solutions that will be competitive in their primary target regions of Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
Navya will provide expertise in autonomous mobility systems and will be responsible for integrating them into current rolling bases, while Lohr will add technical skills to the alliance, as well as experience in large-scale vehicle manufacture and a footprint across three continents.
One of the first initiatives for the partners will be the creation of a self-driving vehicle based on the Cristal® by Lohr industrial model. Its robotic architecture was designed to manage the mechanics, materials, and software of the vehicle. Navya will automate it, and Lohr will industrialise it.
The alliance will be kicked off by the integration of Navya’s AD Pack and the Navya Drive® self-driving software in several Cristal® by Lohr electric shuttles. This will enable a series of tests to be carried out and several test drives to take place in real-life conditions with a view to the industrialisation and marketing of the new line.
Cristalya will be the name of the first joint self-driving model. It will be entirely electric and accommodate up to 18 passengers. Furthermore, it will offer operators a shared mobility solution, adaptable to a variety of use cases, that is both autonomous and designed for and is fully compliant with the norms governing public transportation.
François Lhomme, CEO of the Lohr Group, said:
"We are convinced of the pivotal role autonomous mobility will play in the years to come and of the necessity to participate in a dynamic ecosystem which marries skills and complementarity. Navya and Lohr share a vision of the challenges ahead and will draw up a roadmap on solid foundations for our match towards large-scale industrialisation, while our alliance will strengthen our strategy for growth in the autonomous mobility market."
Sophie Desormière, CEO of Navya, said:
"The alliance between Lohr and Navya will enable us to create the optimal conditions to strengthen our leadership in terms of innovation and industrialisation in the field of autonomous solutions for the transportation of people and goods. It will also allow us to widen our product and service portfolio to better respond to the needs of our customers. Pooling our skills and processes with Lohr represents a major new step in our strategic development towards the large-scale automation of existing rolling bases."
Source: Navya
