NVIDIA Drive Hyperion Autonomous Vehicle Platform Achieves ISO 26262 Safety Compliance by TÜV SÜD.

April 20, 2023 – More than 50 automotive companies around the world have deployed over 800 autonomous test vehicles powered by the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion automotive compute architecture, which has recently achieved new safety milestones.

The latest NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion architecture is based on the DRIVE Orin system-on-a-chip (SoC). Many NVIDIA DRIVE processes, as well as hardware and software components, have been assessed and/or certified compliant to ISO 26262 by TÜV SÜD, an independent, accredited assessor that ensures compliance with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 26262:2018 Functional Safety Standard for Road Vehicles.

Specifically, NVIDIA DRIVE core development processes are now certified as ISO 26262 Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) D compliant. ISO 26262 is based on the concept of a safety lifecycle, which includes planning, analysis, design and implementation, verification, and validation.

Additionally:

• The NVIDIA DRIVE Orin SoC completed concept and product assessments and is deemed to meet ISO 26262 ASIL D systematic requirements and ASIL B random fault management requirements.
• The NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin board completed the concept assessment and is deemed to meet ISO 26262 ASIL D requirements.
• The NVIDIA DRIVE Orin-based platform, which unifies the Orin SoC and DRIVE AGX Orin board, completed the concept assessment and is deemed to meet ISO 26262 ASIL D requirements.
• Development of NVIDIA DRIVE OS 6.x is in progress and will be assessed by TÜV SÜD. This follows the recent certification of DRIVE OS 5.2, which includes NVIDIA CUDA libraries and the NVIDIA TensorRT software development kit for real-time AI inferencing.

Building safe autonomous vehicle technology is one of NVIDIA’s largest and most important endeavors, and functional safety is the focus at every step, from design to testing to deployment.

Functional safety is paramount in the deployment of AVs — ensuring they operate safely and reliably without endangering occupants, pedestrians, or other road users.

AV Functional Safety Leadership

The initial ISO 26262 ASIL D functional safety certification — and recertification — of NVIDIA’s hardware development processes, along with the assessment of two generations of SoCs that include NVIDIA GPU and Tensor Core technology, demonstrate NVIDIA’s commitment to AV functional safety.

NVIDIA’s leadership in AV safety is further exhibited in its contributions to published standards – such as ISO 26262 and ISO 21448 — and ongoing initiatives — such as ISO/TS 5083 on AV safety, ISO/PAS 8800, ISO/IEC TR 5469 on AI safety and ISO/TR 9839.

Unified Hardware and Software Architecture

NVIDIA offers a unified hardware and software architecture throughout its AV research, design, and deployment infrastructure. NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion is an end-to-end, modular development platform and reference architecture for designing autonomous vehicles. The latest generation includes the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin developer kit, plus a diverse and redundant sensor suite.

NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion Takes the Wheel at Auto Shanghai

SAIC Motor’s Rising Auto, GAC AION, XPENG, Desay SV, IM Motors, Human Horizons, NIO, Baidu Apollo, and more showcase the latest software-defined vehicles and intelligent mobility solutions built on NVIDIA DRIVE at Auto Shanghai 2023.

SAIC Motor’s Rising Auto brand unveiled the recently launched mid-to-large luxury pure electric sedan F7 and mid-to-large luxury pure electric SUV R7 at the show, both of which feature an advanced intelligent-driving system built on NVIDIA DRIVE Orin. Equipped with a swappable battery pack, the F7 is built to go the distance with up to a 413-mile range.

New energy vehicle (NEV) maker GAC AION showcased its flagship model Hyper GT, which is available for pre-sale. Equipped with the high-performance NVIDIA DRIVE Orin SoC, the car is designed to support advanced level 2+ driving capabilities in high-speed environments. Featuring an array of aerodynamic features that minimize drag, the Hyper GT has a wind resistance coefficient of just 0.19 Cd, the lowest of any production car in the world, GAC Aion claims.

At the show, EV maker XPENG showcased its full range of models including the all-new P7i ultra-smart coupe and XPENG G9, a super-fast-charging, intelligent SUV, built on the high-performance DRIVE Orin centralized compute architecture to deliver AI capabilities that are continuously upgradable through over-the-air updates.

XPENG also debuted the first model under its SEPA 2.0 Soaring architecture — the XPENG G6 — also powered by NVIDIA DRIVE Orin. As an intelligent driving coupe SUV, the XPENG G6 is based on a high-voltage 800V silicon carbide platform that XPENG launched globally and is also equipped with its proprietary XNGP intelligent assisted driving system.

Elsewhere on the show floor, IM Motors, a joint venture among China’s SAIC Motor, Alibaba, and Shanghai’s Zhangjiang Group, exhibited its flagship LS7 SUV and the L7 sedan powered by NVIDIA DRIVE Orin. IM Motors reports that it has launched its capability for highway navigation on autopilot — users will be able to experience it on the L7 and LS7 soon.

NEV maker Human Horizons officially took the wraps off its HiPhi Y SUV, the latest addition to its lineup of intelligent vehicles. The vehicle’s marquee features include a wing-door design, a China light-duty vehicle test cycle (CLTC) range of more than 497 miles on a single charge and an autonomous-driving system powered by DRIVE Orin.

This is the second model stemming from HiPhi’s cooperation with NVIDIA. The NEV company last summer launched HiPhi Z, the digital grand tourer equipped with the HiPhi Pilot intelligent driver-assistance system. The system features NVIDIA DRIVE Orin and a 30+ sensor suite to support functions such as assisted driving.

As China NEV makers look to expand their global footprint, HiPhi also announced it will bring its vehicles to select countries in Western Europe and Scandinavia. This includes HiPhi X, HiPhi Z, and HiPhi Y.

Premium smart electric vehicle company NIO revealed the ES6 SUV during Auto Shanghai. NIO’s family of smart vehicles is being showcased at the NIO booth, including an updated version of its ET7, along with the ES8, EC7, ES7, ES6, and ET5. All these vehicles run on its proprietary Adam supercomputer, which is powered by four NVIDIA DRIVE Orin SoCs. This quad configuration delivers 1,016 TOPS of performance to enable advanced driver-assistance systems and a point-to-point autonomous driving experience.

NIO also recently announced it’s equipping its third-generation powerswap station with two laser radars and two NVIDIA DRIVE Orin SoCs, with a total computing power of 508 TOPS, which enables the Automatic Summon and Swap feature, which enables the station to communicate with the vehicle and automatically navigate the vehicle for a battery swap.

Li Auto displayed three of its flagship models, including the L9, L8 Max, and L7 Max. These models feature dual NVIDIA DRIVE Orin SoCs to power its intelligent-driving system, the Ideal AD Max, delivering 508 TOPS of computing power to help the vehicle efficiently process data from high-definition cameras, lidars, millimeter-wave radars, and ultrasonic sensors in real-time.

Li Auto also released an 800V supercharged pure electric solution, which can travel 248 miles after charging for 10 minutes. The automaker demonstrated AD Max 3.0, which is also powered by NVIDIA DRIVE Orin. The company’s urban NOA navigation assisted-driving system will be released in the second quarter of this year. And by the end of the year, this all-scenario navigation-assisted driving system will cover 100 cities in China.

Swedish premium automaker Volvo Cars debuted its all-electric EX90 in China. Revealed in November last year, the state-of-the-art, software-defined SUV features a new powertrain and cutting-edge technology to deliver the ultimate in safety and intelligence with the AI compute of NVIDIA DRIVE Orin and Xavier platforms.

During its Volvo Cars Tech Day held earlier this week, the automaker also unveiled its EX90 Excellence, the top-of-the-line and limited edition of the EX90. The four-seater SUV features a two-tone exterior, outstanding comfort inside, and an intelligent technology base powered by NVIDIA DRIVE.

Lotus brought its three champion products to Auto Shanghai, including the first electric Hyper-SUV Lotus Eletre, the first pure electric hypercar Evija and Emira, the last internal combustion engine sports car from Lotus. The Lotus Eletre is equipped with a cockpit-forward design inspired by Evija and embodies the essence of aesthetics. It features an immersive digital cockpit, a long battery range of the Eletre S+ version of up to 403 miles, and autonomous-driving capabilities powered by the NVIDIA DRIVE Orin.

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