Just a day after completing the acquisition of Mobileye N.V., Intel Corp. today officially kick-started its effort to take the group’s autonomous navigation technology mainstream.

The chip maker this morning announced plans to build a self-driving car fleet for trial purposes that will include more than 100 vehicles once it reaches full strength. According to reports from earlier this year, at least 40 automobiles are set to be provided by BMW AG. Intel said that the rest of the lineup will consist of “multiple car brands and vehicle types” to demonstrate Mobileye’s system works with different platforms.

The company is taking this approach for several reasons. The first is to show interested automakers that the technology can reliably integrate into any car they may wish to equip with autonomous driving capabilities. More than 15 million vehicles already use components from Mobileye’s system, which gives it something of a head start on that front.

Another goal of the project is to provide a means of testing new features under real-world conditions. Intel will run trials throughout North America, Europe and Mobileye’s home country of Israel to assess how the vehicles perform in different environments. The company must address the regional differences that exist in everything from driving styles to signage if it is to reach international markets. 

Establishing such a foothold will also require working with the relevant authorities in each region, which is the third major motivation behind the project. Intel said the test fleet is set to serve as a ”base to interact directly with regulators.”

The first cars will hit the road sometime later this year, with the chip maker reportedly planning to hold the initial trials in Arizona and Jerusalem. The company also intends to start developing a new version of Mobileye’s system based on its own processors. Supplying chips for autonomous vehicles is ultimately how Intel plans to monetize the trend, which makes the move a natural strategic step.

But the chip maker will have to overcome fierce competition before it can fully realize this vision. One of the most formidable contenders in the race for self-driving cars is Google Inc.’s Waymo division, which is already testing an autonomous vehicle fleet in several cities.

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