Stellantis taps Wayve to cut autonomous driving costs

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said on October 9, 2026, that the automaker's partnership with British startup Wayve could reduce development times and costs for advanced driver-assistance systems. Filosa spoke alongside Wayve CEO Alex Kendall at the Wave technology event in Turin.

Filosa highlighted that reducing development cycles, which currently take about 24 months for Stellantis, is a primary benefit of teaming up with specialized technology firms. He noted that automotive manufacturing scale will lower costs for level 2++ driving assistance, which enables hands-free driving under driver supervision.

Stellantis initially announced its partnership with Wayve in May to integrate artificial intelligence driving software into the STLA AutoDrive platform. The companies are targeting 2028 for their first product launch in North America. European regulators are still working to harmonize approval rules for advanced assisted-driving systems.

Wayve also collaborates with other carmakers, including Nissan and Mercedes. Kendall explained that the Stellantis portfolio, which includes Jeep, Fiat, Peugeot, and Maserati, allows the same underlying software to serve multiple brands. At the event in Turin, the companies showcased hands-free driving in Fiat 500e and Maserati Grecale test vehicles, building on earlier demonstrations in a Jeep Grand Cherokee.