Volvo is stepping up its game in the realm of automated driving by expanding its partnership with tech giant Nvidia. The Swedish automaker will be leveraging three key pieces of Nvidia's hardware and software, designed to navigate both city streets and highways, marking a significant stride in its journey towards fully autonomous vehicles.

According to Ali Kani, head of Nvidia's automotive division, the Alpamayo driving software stack will be at the heart of this innovation. This stack, which Kani describes as redundant and diverse, combines AI models with classical software, ensuring a safer driving experience. The stack is also open source, having been downloaded over 650,000 times by developers.

Volvo's Alwin Bakkenes hinted at the scale of the deal, indicating that the partnership will encompass a full-tech stack designed for both its electric vehicles and traditional gas-powered cars. Bakkenes stated, 'Automakers are now more like full-tech stack companies, not just car-line-based development.'

The expansion with Nvidia isn't just about electric vehicles; all Volvo's battery-electric models already use Nvidia's Orin computer chip, which processes data from cameras, radar, and other sensors. Moving forward, Volvo plans to standardize more on Nvidia's Hyperion platform, opening the stack for a broader range of vehicle types.

This partnership signifies a significant shift for Volvo, as Bakkenes noted that the first vehicle with the new Nvidia tech stack will debut within the decade, with the potential for the technology to extend beyond that.