ECARX Holdings (Nasdaq: ECX) and May Mobility have signed a strategic framework agreement to put up to thousands of autonomy-enabled vehicles on the road, with an initial deployment targeted for next year and commercialization scaling in 2028. The agreement names ECARX as the intended exclusive technology provider, supplying custom L4 central computing platforms and a full sensor suite for May Mobility’s next-generation autonomous ride-hail fleet. The two companies are jointly targeting at least a 50 percent reduction in the all-in cost of a May Mobility autonomous vehicle by 2028, and the total value of the project is estimated at approximately US$750 million over its full duration. Scope, project value, and definitive agreements remain subject to further negotiation, and successful deployment is subject to regulatory determination.
Highlights
- ECARX will supply custom L4 central computing units, plus a sensor suite spanning LiDAR, radar, cameras, and IMUs, on a jointly selected third-party vehicle platform.
- The partnership targets up to thousands of autonomy-enabled vehicles, with initial deployment beginning next year and commercial scale-up in 2028.
- Joint cost-reduction goal: at least 50 percent off the all-in cost of a May Mobility AV by 2028.
- Estimated total project value: approximately US$750 million over the agreement’s duration.
Turnkey AV: Compute Plus Sensors on a Shared Platform
Under the framework, ECARX is expected to design and deliver two integration components on the selected vehicle platform. The first is a set of custom L4 central computing units, automotive-grade compute hardware tuned to May Mobility’s driverless requirements. The second is a complete sensor suite combining LiDAR, radar, cameras, and inertial measurement units, engineered for 360-degree perception and L4 safety standards.
ECARX is positioned as the intended exclusive technology provider for the partnership. The two companies will jointly select and define the base vehicle — described in the agreement as a third-party platform — onto which the compute system and sensor suite will be integrated.
May Mobility’s Autonomy Stack
May Mobility’s autonomous driving system is built around a predictive world model paired with a reasoning engine. The vehicle simulates up to 10 seconds into the future, evaluates multiple competing driving strategies, and executes the one best suited to the situation it is in. That stack today supports ride-hail services across cities in the United States and Japan.
The new ECARX hardware is intended to carry that autonomy stack into a higher-volume, lower-cost configuration. May Mobility operates an Autonomy-as-a-Service (AaaS) commercial model, and the framework’s stated purpose is to enable fleet scaling within that model.
Cost, Volume, and 2028 Targets
The companies are jointly aiming to cut the all-in cost of a May Mobility autonomous vehicle by at least 50 percent by 2028. Initial targeted deployment on the selected platform is set to begin next year, with commercialization scale-up in 2028. The total value of the project is estimated at approximately US$750 million across the duration of the agreement.
Both companies have flagged that the actual scope, details, and project value remain subject to further negotiation and execution of definitive agreements. Deployment of the autonomous platforms is also subject to regulatory determination.
Executive Commentary
Ziyu Shen, Founder and CEO of ECARX, said: “This partnership marks a major milestone for ECARX as we expand our global footprint in autonomous driving. May Mobility is a proven trailblazer in safe, scalable AV deployments, and we are proud to have the potential to deliver our cutting-edge L4 central computing to power their next-generation vehicles. This collaboration is expected to open exciting new revenue growth avenues for ECARX and further reinforce our position as a global leader in intelligent mobility technologies.”
Dr. Edwin Olson, CEO and Founder of May Mobility, said: “Autonomous ride-hail at scale isn’t built by one company alone. It takes a lot of pieces, assembled well, and our strategy is to bring the industry’s best partners together to do that. ECARX brings the engineering depth and supply chain expertise that turn a great autonomy stack into thousands of autonomous vehicles on the road at a cost structure that actually works at scale.”
May Mobility has prior partnerships in place with Uber and Lyft to deploy AVs on those ride-hail networks.
Sign up for our weekly emails to stay up to date on the latest news!
