- Stellantis announced STLA AutoDrive, STLA Brain, and STLA Smart Cockpit
- STLA AutoDrive will be a Level 3 hands-free driver-assist system that won’t require the driver to watch the road
- STLA AutoDrive, STLA Brain, and STLA Smart Cockpit will arrive in 2025
On Thursday, Stellantis began detailing its next-gen driver assistance system called STLA Auto Drive. The automaker used its 2024 Investor Day briefing in June to announce next-generation technology platforms to roll out across its brands, which in the U.S. includes Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat. The company said those platforms, STLA Brain, STLA SmartCockpit, and STLA AutoDrive, will combine to be the form for the automaker’s future tech stack.
Notably, STLA AutoDrive makes the automaker’s newly launched hands-free driver-assist system obsolete less than a year after its introduction.
The announcements leaves questions that Stellantis has yet to fully answer.
STLA AutoDrive
The system is being called STLA AutoDrive 1.0 and is the company’s new hands-free driver-assist system. Stellantis said the system will feature both hands-free eyes-on-the-road and hands-free eyes-off-the-road functionality, making it a Level 3 driver-assist system.
Stellantis said on Thursday that the system will enable Level 3 automated driving, which is hands-off and eyes-off, of speeds of up to 37 mph. The system’s designed to be upgraded in the future with possible speeds of up to 59 mph and even off-road capabilities, according to Stellantis. STLA AutoDrive is currently meant for use in stop-and-go traffic in urban areas, according to Stellantis. The automaker said the system will work “when traffic and environmental conditions align,” but didn’t outline where or what those conditions are. The system will work at night and in “challenging weather conditions,” according to Stellantis, though those conditions have not been outlined yet. It’s unknown which current and future vehicles will feature the system, but the electric Jeep Wagoneer S was used as a demonstrator by the automaker in a promotional video.
To date, the only Level 3 hands-off eyes-off hands-free driver assist system on sale in the U.S. is Mercedes-Benz’s DrivePilot. It’s only available in specific EQS and S-Class models and initially only worked at speeds of up to 40 mph, but Mercedes-Benz later upgraded the system to work at speeds of up to 59 mph. GM’s Super Cruise and Ford’s BlueCruise systems are considered Level 2 hands-off driver assist systems, and both require the driver to watch the road.
Stellantis quietly launched its rival to Super Cruise and BlueCruise called Hands-Free Active Driving Assist late in 2023. The system debuted without fanfare on the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee and just became available in the 2025 Ram 1500.
A Stellantis spokesperson told Motor Authority, “Hands-Free Active Assist technology will continue to be available for a period of time as we rollout the STLA AutoDrive platform, an overlap that is typical of the launch of new technologies.”
Stellantis hasn’t said how long Hands-Free Active Driving-Assist will be supported or what will happen to the system in the long-term. STLA AutoDrive will be ready for production at the end of 2024 and arrive in cars in 2025.
STLA Brain
STLA AutoDrive will rely on STLA Brain, which will serve as the central hub for managing the vehicle’s electronics and software. The system integrates with on-board sensors and actuators while remaining connected with the cloud for over-the-air updates. Stellantis said STLA Brain will reduce the number of ECUs in a vehicle by half to approximately 60.
STLA SmartCockpit is powered by STLA Brain and is said to integrate the vehicle with owners’ lives. Machine learning and AI evolve the system and learn a user’s preferences with a personal profile that integrates with climate, navigation, entertainment, and control settings. The profile is linked to a mobile phone and will enable users’ profiles to immediately integrate with any vehicle with STLA Cockpit and STLA Brain. The interface will feature a simplified set of menus for fewer clicks when accessing features, according to Stellantis.
Like STLA AutoDrive, STLA Brain and STLA CockPit will enter production at the end of 2024 and the first vehicles to feature the tech will arrive in 2025, according to Stellantis.
Note – This story was updated as it incorrectly stated Stellantis hadn’t published a map showing where it’s Hands-Free Active-Driving Assist system works, which has been posted to Jeep’s consumer website.
Note – This story was updated as Stellantis revealed more details surrounding STLA AutoDrive.
