Technology that allows certain vehicles to be retrofitted for self-driving testing lies at the center of an intellectual-property dispute between a Michigan company and self-driving startup Voyage Auto Inc.
Sucxess, a suburban Detroit engineering-services firm, claims that Voyage has used its patented technology to convert regular production Ford Fusions and Chrysler Pacificas into autonomous-vehicle test mules.
Sucxess filed suit against Voyage last month in U.S. District Court in Delaware.
Axel Nix, founder of Sucxess and a former engineer at General Motors, Harman and Magna International, says he has unsuccessfully tried to resolve the dispute with Voyage over the past year.
"Trying to make money with my own patents is eye opening, and nobody knows how hard it is," he said. "They all go and tell you to pound sand. Everybody wants you to go away."
At issue are devices provided by two other companies -- Dataspeed Inc. and New Eagle -- that allow companies such as Voyage to retrofit Fusions and Pacificas with drive-by-wire kits that provide new functionality, such as being able to drive via joysticks rather than regular vehicle controls.
Sucxess claims this violates two patents it holds on systems for retrofitting a data bus in automated-vehicle prototypes.
Voyage is not the only company to use Fusions and Pacificas in its test fleet, which may make the case something of a bellwether.
"We believe there is absolutely no merit to this lawsuit," said Voyage CEO Oliver Cameron.
Cameron, a former vice president of engineering, content and product at Udacity, founded Voyage in 2017. It's one of a number of self-driving startups focused on deploying slow-moving shuttles in niche areas. The company has set itself apart by focusing on retirement communities, bringing new mobility options to retirees. It operates in The Villages, Fla. In December, it announced it had signed a multiyear contract to deploy autonomous ride-hailing services there.
The company uses the Fusion sedans as part of its testing and development process, and the Pacifica minivans are part of its consumer-facing fleet.
"It is somewhat sad, because I've studied Voyage quite a bit, and they're a good company and very friendly from an outsider perspective," Nix said. "But they derive a lot of value out of these cars. If they didn't have prototype development, how much would they be worth? They wouldn't exist without these cars, and when you look at it as a patent owner, hey, you are getting some real value by using my patent."
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and "a reasonable royalty." No court date has been set.
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