The BMW Group has partnered with Valeo to co-developed Level 4 automated parking technologies in a move that will strengthen their pre-existing relationship.
An agreement signed by the two companies will work on the joint development of next-generation high-end parking use experiences in parking facilities and on other private grounds. These will include Automated Maneuver Assistance through to Level 4 Automated Valet Parking.
BMW says that consumers using Automated Valet Parking will be able to leave a vehicle at a drop-off zone before the vehicle itself finds a parking spot autonomously, parks itself, and can drive back to a pick-up zone when the driver returns. Automated charging and automated washing services could also be operated while a vehicle is parked.
The two companies will develop both Type 1 and Type 2 parking systems. In the Type 1 system, all of the necessary technologies will be installed in the vehicle while in the Type 2 system, the required technologies will be installed in the parking facility, meaning the vehicle is controlled by the infrastructure at the parking lot.
Watch: See The BMW iX Park Itself And Get A Wash In A Special Parking Lot
“This joint development is an important milestone for the BMW Group with regards to our next generation of automated driving and parking,” senior vice president of Driving Experience at the BMW Group, Nicolai Martin said. “With scalable L4 parking experiences, we confirm and strengthen our leading position in this domain. To create truly amazing end user functions, state-of-the art software and hardware is needed in all aspects of the digital value chain, as well as the power of a fleet data ecosystem.”
BMW and Valeo will task more than 100 research and development specialists with developing the systems, basing the software functions on the automated parking software stack launched with the BMW iX in 2021.
