Honda, Nissan Tap Applied Intuition While Stellantis and Wayve Push Hands-Free Driving Toward 2028

The automotive industry’s artificial intelligence push intensified this week as several major manufacturers moved forward with software and autonomy partnerships that reshape how vehicles are developed and driven.

Honda and Nissan have each struck separate agreements with Applied Intuition, a software company specializing in vehicle operating systems and AI-assisted development tools. Though the two Japanese automakers are competitors, both have concluded that building the foundational software layer for modern vehicles in-house is no longer the fastest path forward. Applied Intuition’s Vehicle OS and its AI-driven engineering tools are designed to accelerate how automakers write, test and deploy the code that increasingly defines a car’s behavior, from driver assistance features to over-the-air updates.

On the autonomy front, Stellantis and UK-based startup Wayve have been demonstrating hands-free driving technology on Fiat and Maserati development vehicles. The demonstrations come ahead of a planned 2028 launch, suggesting the two companies are moving from early research into the validation phase. Wayve has built its reputation on end-to-end machine learning approaches to autonomous driving, a method that contrasts with the more traditional modular stacks favored by some rivals. Stellantis’ decision to test the system on both a mass-market brand’s platform and a premium marque hints at ambitions to scale the technology across its portfolio rather than confine it to high-end models.

Chip supply and manufacturing strategy also featured prominently. Elon Musk reaffirmed that Tesla and SpaceX intend to operate the planned Terafab chip complex themselves, even as Intel remains involved in the project. The statement underscores the growing appetite among automakers and adjacent technology firms to control semiconductor production, a lesson learned during recent years of supply chain disruption.

Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is revisiting its vehicle cybersecurity best practices. The agency’s Administrator noted that machine learning tools are driving down the cost of uncovering software vulnerabilities, a trend that cuts both ways: it helps defenders find flaws faster, but it also lowers the barrier for those seeking to exploit them. As vehicles grow more connected and software-dependent, regulatory attention on cybersecurity is likely to tighten, making this review one to watch in the months ahead.