Stellantis STLA AutoDrive to operate without the need for drivers to keep an eye on the road

• STLA AutoDrive, STLA Brain, and STLA Smart Cockpit revealed by Stellantis
• STLA AutoDrive, a Level 3 hands-free driver-assist system, will not demand the driver’s attention towards the road
• STLA AutoDrive, STLA Brain, and STLA Smart Cockpit set to launch in 2025

During its 2024 Investor Day briefing last Thursday, Stellantis introduced advanced technology platforms intended for its lineup of brands in the United States, such as Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat. The company stated that these platforms, STLA Brain, STLA SmartCockpit, and STLA AutoDrive, will collectively shape the automaker’s forthcoming technological infrastructure.

Significantly, STLA AutoDrive renders the automaker’s recently launched hands-free driver-assist system obsolete less than a year after its debut.

The unveiling raises unresolved queries that Stellantis has yet to address comprehensively.

STLA AutoDrive represents the automaker’s innovative hands-free driver-assist system. The company affirmed that the system will encompass both hands-free eyes-on-the-road and hands-free eyes-off-the-road capabilities, positioning it as a Level 3 driver-assist system.

Currently, the sole Level 3 hands-off eyes-off hands-free driver assistance system available for purchase in the U.S. is Mercedes-Benz’s DrivePilot. It is exclusively accessible in specific EQS and S-Class models in two states. GM’s Super Cruise and Ford’s BlueCruise are classified as Level 2 hands-off driver assist systems, both necessitating the driver’s vigilance on the road.

Stellantis did not disclose technical details regarding the functioning, coverage, pricing, operational modes, features, or supported vehicles of STLA AutoDrive. The inclusion of the system in existing and future models remains unspecified.

Stellantis discreetly launched its competitor to Super Cruise and BlueCruise, named Hands-Free Active Driving Assist, towards the end of 2023. The system was introduced quietly on the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee and is now accessible in the 2025 Ram 1500. Stellantis has refrained from publishing a map that illustrates the system’s operability on different roads, leaving consumers in the dark after spending $2,995 on the feature.

A Stellantis representative informed Motor Authority, “Hands-Free Active Assist technology will remain accessible during the STLA AutoDrive platform rollout, a customary overlap during the implementation of new technologies.”

Stellantis has not disclosed the duration of support for Hands-Free Active Driving-Assist or the system’s long-term future. STLA AutoDrive is set for production by the end of 2024 and will be integrated into vehicles in 2025.

STLA AutoDrive will rely on STLA Brain, which functions as the central control for managing the vehicle’s electronic systems and software. This system interacts with on-board sensors and actuators while staying connected to the cloud for receiving over-the-air updates. Stellantis claims that STLA Brain will reduce the number of ECUs in a vehicle by approximately 50.

STLA SmartCockpit, driven by STLA Brain, is designed to blend the vehicle seamlessly into owners’ lifestyles. Leveraging machine learning and AI, the system evolves and adapts to user preferences, with personal profiles that synchronize with climate control, navigation, entertainment, and operational settings. These profiles are linked to a mobile device, enabling immediate integration of user settings in any vehicle equipped with STLA Cockpit and STLA Brain. The interface will feature a streamlined menu for quick access to features, as stated by Stellantis.

Similar to STLA AutoDrive, STLA Brain and STLA CockPit are scheduled for production by the end of 2024, with the initial vehicles featuring this technology set to debut in 2025, as per Stellantis.