NVIDIA’s DRIVE AV software is set to hit US roads later this year with its first production deployment in the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLA, as per the NVIDIA’s official blog. The launch brings enhanced Level 2, point-to-point driver-assistance capabilities to consumers and signals the start of broader adoption of NVIDIA’s full-stack automotive software.
The new CLA is Mercedes-Benz’s first vehicle built on its MB.OS operating system and integrates NVIDIA DRIVE AV software, AI infrastructure, and accelerated compute.
The system powers advanced driver-assistance features under the MB.DRIVE ASSIST portfolio, with the architecture designed to support over-the-air updates for future upgrades and new capabilities, available both ex-factory and through the Mercedes-Benz digital store.
Mercedes-Benz’s latest CLA recently earned a five-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), with the performance of its active safety and accident-avoidance systems contributing to the top score.
NVIDIA said the deployment underscores how AI-driven software and data-centric development are becoming central to vehicle safety and performance.
Ali Kani, vice president of automotive at NVIDIA, said that as the automotive industry embraces physical AI, NVIDIA is the intelligence backbone that makes every vehicle programmable, updatable and perpetually improving through data and software
At the core of the system is NVIDIA DRIVE AV’s dual-stack architecture, which combines an end-to-end AI driving stack with a parallel, classical safety stack built on NVIDIA’s Halos safety system. This approach adds redundancy and safety guardrails, allowing vehicles to learn from large volumes of real-world and synthetic driving data while operating within defined safety parameters.
The unified architecture enables advanced Level 2 automated driving features, including point-to-point urban navigation, proactive collision avoidance, automated parking in tight spaces, and cooperative steering between the driver and the system.
NVIDIA said its deep-learning models allow vehicles to interpret traffic holistically, respond to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, and assist drivers from one address to another in complex city environments.
Beyond in-vehicle intelligence, NVIDIA and Mercedes-Benz are also applying AI to vehicle manufacturing.
Using NVIDIA Omniverse and digital twin technology, engineers can design and optimise factory layouts and assembly lines virtually, reducing downtime and accelerating development cycles. Simulation platforms such as Omniverse and NVIDIA Cosmos also allow driving software to be tested and validated extensively in virtual environments before real-world deployment.
NVIDIA’s automotive strategy is built around a cloud-to-car development pipeline that spans AI training, simulation, and in-vehicle compute. Massive GPU-powered systems train driving models on global datasets, simulation tools convert real-world miles into billions of virtual test scenarios, and NVIDIA DRIVE AGX and Hyperion platforms handle real-time perception, sensor fusion, and decision-making inside the vehicle.
NVIDIA said the Mercedes-Benz deployment is part of a broader effort to bring its full-stack software and AI infrastructure to automakers worldwide, enabling scalable integration of intelligent driving and safety features while simplifying future upgrades.
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