Renault and Cerence Partner to Bring Generative AI to Reno, the Renault Connected Avatar

BURLINGTON, Mass., Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cerence Inc. (NASDAQ: CRNC), AI for a world in motion, today announced its expanded partnership with Renault to bring generative AI-powered capabilities and human-like interaction to the automaker’s next-generation, multi-modal in-car companion, Reno.

Reno, the official Renault avatar, is an intelligent, helpful, and endearing in-car companion that brings customers a more intuitive and fun driving experience. Expanding on Renault and Cerence’s multi-year partnership to bring Reno to life with humanized, voice-powered interaction, Renault will now leverage generative AI-powered Cerence Chat Pro to advance Reno’s capabilities and bring Reno’s intelligence to an entirely new level. Cerence Chat Pro, a uniquely intelligent, automotive-grade large language model integration, will enable Renault customers to engage Reno in fun and conversational chit-chat, leveraging a multitude of sources, including ChatGPT, to provide accurate and relevant responses to nearly every query imaginable. The interaction with Reno will be even more enhanced by Cerence’s neural text-to-speech, which enables Reno to convey different emotions in its responses to drivers, including apprehensive, cheerful, empathetic, sad, and serious.  

“Reno marks the next generation of the Renault in-car experience, offering intuitive and natural interaction that brings added value and enjoyment to our customers,” said Luc Julia, Chief Scientific Officer, Renault Group. “With Cerence Chat Pro, we’re leveraging the latest in generative AI but making it applicable to the driving experience, bringing a new level of intelligence and capability to Reno that will enhance learning to use an electric vehicle, as well as safety and comfort for the drivers and the passengers.”

At the foundation of Reno’s new, generative AI-powered capabilities is a deeply integrated, voice-enabled experience based on Cerence Assistant. In addition to voice-powered control of key vehicle features and functions, Reno leverages car data and sensors to proactively suggest ways to enhance driving performance, like changing the driving mode to maximize range or turning on the windshield defroster in certain weather. Reno can also answer the most commonly asked questions about the car, delivering credible and accurate information direct from Renault sources, powered by Cerence Car Knowledge.

“We’re proud to continue our long-term partnership with Renault to bring advanced capabilities to Reno as it transforms the in-car interaction experience for Renault customers,” said Christian Mentz, Chief Revenue Officer, Cerence. “As we look to the future of the in-car experience, Reno marks an important milestone in bringing more human-like interaction to the car – a fun, knowledgeable companion that delivers a host of expanded capabilities to support drivers’ every need.”

Reno made its debut in Renault 5 E-Tech electric in September 2024 and will also be available in Renault 4 E-Tech electric in 2025 .

To learn more about Cerence, visit www.cerence.com, and follow the company on LinkedIn.

About Cerence Inc.
Cerence (NASDAQ: CRNC) is the global industry leader in creating unique, moving experiences for the mobility world. As an innovation partner to the world’s leading automakers and mobility OEMs, it is helping advance the future of connected mobility through intuitive, AI-powered interaction between humans and their vehicles, connecting consumers’ digital lives to their daily journeys no matter where they are. Cerence’s track record is built on more than 20 years of knowledge and 500 million cars shipped with Cerence technology. Whether it’s connected cars, autonomous driving, e-vehicles, or two-wheelers, Cerence is mapping the road ahead. For more information, visit www.cerence.com.  

About Renault
Renault, a historic mobility brand and pioneer of electric vehicles in Europe, has always developed innovative vehicles. With the ‘Renaulution’ strategic plan, Renault has embarked on an ambitious, value-generating transformation, moving towards a more competitive, balanced and electrified range. Its ambition is to embody modernity and innovation in technology, energy and mobility services in the automotive industry and beyond.

Contact Information

Kate Hickman | Tel: 339-215-4583 | Email: kate.hickman@cerence.com