Renault joins hands with aviation companies to focus on unmanned vehicle simulation testing to accelerate the layout of autonomous driving

French automaker Renault has announced a partnership with Toulouse-based simulation technology company Oktal, a subsidiary of French aerospace supplier Sogeclair.

The two parties will establish a new joint venture, AVS (Autonomous Vehicle Simulation), in which Renault Group will hold a 35% stake.

The new company will specialize in simulation testing services for autonomous vehicles. This is a major move by Renault Group and the Renault-Nissan Alliance to ensure that they can provide more advanced technologies in the future, especially related development and testing technologies for the development of autonomous vehicles in a virtual environment.

Regarding this cooperation, Gaspar Gascon, Executive Vice President and Product Engineer of Renault Group, said, “This move will help Renault realize its strategy of providing electric, connected and automated future vehicles.

I am very happy to establish AVS with Oktal, which is also a support for French innovation. This cooperation will also accelerate the establishment of our new service system and enhance customer experience. "

Of course, this cooperation is also good news for the Renault-Nissan Alliance, as the alliance has planned to launch 10 new models with autonomous driving functions around 2020.

It is understood that the Renault-Nissan Alliance is already engaged in relevant autonomous driving simulation tests, using the SCANeRTM simulation software jointly developed by Renault and Oktal.

Oktal CEO Laurent Salanqueda is confident that “with Renault’s support, we will be able to accelerate the development of new features for our driving simulator SCANeR Studio for autonomous and connected cars.”

Renault Group said that AVS will further strengthen the research and development of driving simulator products. In addition, the new company will also acquire Oktal's automotive-related assets and merge them into AVS.

In fact, with the increasingly widespread deployment of auxiliary technologies and autonomous vehicles, simulation testing has become a strategic focus of the automotive industry, and fleet testing and simulation have become an important part that cannot be ignored.

In order to achieve higher stability, self-driving cars must undergo a large number of tests to accumulate mileage. If actual vehicle tests are carried out, this process will take years to complete.

In this case, simulators and virtual environment testing will greatly speed up the process and ensure that the task is completed within the established schedule.

It is understood that in December last year, the autonomous driving demonstration zone established by Renault Group, Dongfeng Renault Automobile Co., Ltd. and Wuhan Caidian Ecological Development Group was officially put into operation. It became the first autonomous driving demonstration zone in China where tourists can fully participate in testing and experience.

In February this year, the Renault-Nissan Alliance announced a partnership with Transdev, a large European travel service operator, to establish a fleet of self-driving electric vehicles for public transportation and shared travel services.

In a joint statement, the three companies said they will develop a comprehensive, modular mobility system on which private users can book trips and mobile mobility operators can monitor the overall status of their autonomous vehicles.

Today, the Renault Group is making arrangements in the field of automotive simulation, and the company is going deeper and deeper in the field of autonomous driving.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.