Autonomous driving technology leader, TIER IV, introduces “Fanfare,” a white-label, scalable solution to facilitate the production of autonomous driving-enabled electric vehicles (EVs) and meet the rising demand for autonomous driving services.
What’s Happening
In a major industry development, TIER IV, a front-runner in the open-source autonomous driving (AD) technology, has launched a ground-breaking solution named “Fanfare.” This initiative offers scalable, white-label electric vehicle models, enabling customers to launch vehicles under their personal brand names while seamlessly incorporating AD features.
Why It Matters
Japan’s government leads the Level 4 AD initiative, aiming to bring autonomous driving services to at least 50 regions by 2025 and 100 regions by 2027. However, there exists a bottleneck in sourcing affordable, Level 4 AD-certified EVs to fulfill the growing demand. The “Fanfare” solution from TIER IV addresses this challenge, bolstering the growth of autonomous driving services.
Key Points
TIER IV has collaborated with numerous auto manufacturers to create a scalable electrical/electronic (E/E) architecture and a redundant drive-by-wire module. These features enable customization of AD features via add-on components, facilitating the production of EVs and accelerating the rollout of driverless AD services. As part of this initiative, TIER IV has released the “L4 Custom Design Guidelines” to assist manufacturers in integrating AD features into EVs and ensuring they meet Level 4 standards.
The “Fanfare” solution allows customers to develop and operate AD-enabled EVs under their own brands. An initial rollout plan involves launching a minibus model in 2023, with the intention of expanding the range to multiple models by 2024. TIER IV’s goal is to produce 300 units of AD-enabled EVs in 2025 in partnership with various companies, fostering an environment conducive to the mass production of AD-enabled EVs.
Bottom Line
Through rigorous safety considerations and various Proof-of-Concept projects, TIER IV has established best practices for AD-enabled EVs. The “Fanfare” EV models utilize an E/E architecture that meets critical safety standards and features redundant designs to mitigate failure risks. Initial baseline EVs will be procured from several manufacturers, expanded for Level 4 AD compatibility, and sold as white-label EVs.
Looking ahead, TIER IV is committed to empowering third-party companies to produce EV models by disclosing design specifications via the “L4 Custom Design Guidelines.” As part of their pledge to sustainable mobility, TIER IV aims to refine AD-enabled EVs and expand their selection to meet the burgeoning demand for driverless AD services.
