Toyota made waves at CES 2025 by announcing that its upcoming generation of vehicles will feature advanced automated driving capabilities powered by Nvidia’s cutting-edge Drive AGX Orin supercomputer and safety-centric operating system, DriveOS. This partnership marks a significant milestone in Toyota’s journey toward realizing safer and more efficient autonomous driving technologies.
DriveOS: The Backbone of Safe Autonomous Driving
DriveOS, Nvidia’s dedicated operating system for autonomous vehicles, is designed to manage real-time AI processing while integrating advanced driving and cockpit features. By leveraging this technology, Toyota aims to ensure that its next-generation vehicles not only achieve higher levels of automation but also prioritize safety and reliability for passengers.
The Drive AGX Orin supercomputer at the heart of the platform processes real-time sensor data from the vehicle’s environment, enabling precise decision-making. Ali Kani, vice president of automotive at Nvidia, described the collaboration as an extension of the “cloud-to-car strategy,” highlighting Nvidia’s comprehensive approach to autonomous vehicle development.
From Cloud to Car: Toyota’s Longstanding Nvidia Partnership
Toyota’s relationship with Nvidia is far from new. In 2019, the Toyota Research Institute began utilizing Nvidia’s AI technology to develop, train, and validate autonomous vehicle systems. This collaboration followed an earlier announcement in 2017, where the two companies shared plans to integrate Nvidia’s supercomputers into future Toyota vehicles to power autonomous driving capabilities.
Expanding this partnership into in-car applications demonstrates Toyota’s confidence in Nvidia’s comprehensive autonomous vehicle toolkit, which includes three critical components:
- Nvidia DGX: Used for training AI models and software stacks.
- Nvidia Drive AGX Orin: Processes real-time sensor data in the vehicle.
- Nvidia Omniverse: A platform to simulate autonomous vehicle scenarios and generate synthetic data for validation.
By incorporating Nvidia’s cloud and in-vehicle computing systems, Toyota aims to deliver a seamless, robust automated driving experience.
Nvidia’s Growing Impact in the Automotive Sector
Toyota isn’t the only company showcasing Nvidia-powered solutions at CES 2025. Autonomous vehicle technology startup Aurora Innovation and automotive supplier Continental also announced a partnership to deploy driverless trucks at scale. Their vehicles will be powered by Nvidia’s latest system-on-a-chip, Drive Thor, further cementing Nvidia’s position as a leader in the automotive technology landscape.
Nvidia’s end-to-end approach to autonomous vehicle solutions, from training and simulation to real-time processing, has positioned it as a critical player in the industry. Ali Kani revealed during the press briefing that Nvidia expects its automotive vertical to grow to approximately $5 billion in fiscal year 2026, driven by its range of platforms and increasing partnerships.
The Road Ahead for Toyota and Nvidia
With Toyota poised to integrate Nvidia’s Drive AGX Orin into its vehicles, the automaker is taking a bold step toward realizing its vision for autonomous mobility. As the partnership evolves, questions remain about the specific timeline and markets for deployment. TechCrunch has reached out to Toyota for further details on these plans.
At the same time, Nvidia continues to build momentum in the automotive sector, providing tools for automakers and startups alike to innovate. Whether through driverless trucks or passenger vehicles, Nvidia’s technology is set to play a pivotal role in the evolution of transportation.
CES 2025 has spotlighted how partnerships like Toyota and Nvidia’s are driving progress in the autonomous vehicle space, bringing safer, smarter, and more capable driving technologies to the forefront.
