Stellantis has put its Level 3 ADAS — the in-house STLA AutoDrive — on hold, citing high costs, technological hurdles and limited consumer demand as key factors behind the pivot. The automaker confirmed the system, long touted as “ready for deployment,” was never actually launched.
The decision, disclosed to Reuters by sources familiar with the matter, signals a fresh phase in Stellantis’s software strategy: moving away from in-house development and increasingly depending on external partners — namely its 2022 acquisition of aiMotive — to drive future iterations of AutoDrive. Stellantis aims to refine its strategy to focus internal efforts only on differentiating tech, while outsourcing broader software development.
In February, Stellantis unveiled STLA AutoDrive 1.0, showcasing an SAE Level 3-capable system offering hands free, eyes off driving up to 37 mph in congested traffic, with over the air (OTA) upgradeability toward 59 mph and even off road autonomy on the horizon.
The system was embedded within the broader STLA ABC architecture, comprised of STLA Brain, SmartCockpit and AutoDrive — designed to evolve Stellantis vehicles into “software-defined” platforms.
In May, SmartCockpit — a joint project with Amazon to integrate in-car technology and software expertise into Stellantis vehicles — also reportedly ended, though a specific reason was not disclosed.
