The two companies have signed an agreement to establish a project to develop and test the various sensors and control systems needed to make autonomous cars safe and viable. The vehicles will be produced by Volvo with Uber developing the autonomous driving systems, with the pair contributing a combined $300 million to the project.
The online taxi firm has long spoken about its desire to deploy autonomous vehicles, allegedly as soon as 2020. Volvo too, has been an advocate of driverless technology, with its active safety systems regarded as market leading – these put greater control and decision making with the car.
Volvo will use its modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which has been used on the XC90 SUV, S90 premium sedan and V90 premium estate, to build the autonomous vehicles for test.
The Volvo-Uber project is a significant milestone for the car industry, marking one of the biggest partnerships between a traditional manufacturer and contemporary digital business.
Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars, said: “Volvo is a world leader in the development of active safety and possesses unrivalled safety credibility. This alliance places Volvo at the heart of the current technological revolution in the automotive industry.”
Many other mainstream manufacturers take a much different stance and continue to say it is drivers and driving experience that must lead development. However, many other advocates of autonomous vehicles disagree.
Travis Kalanick, Uber’s chief executive, said: “Over one million people die in car accidents every year. These are tragedies that self-driving technology can help solve, but we can’t do this alone. Volvo is a leader in vehicle development and best-in-class when it comes to safety. By combining the capabilities of Uber and Volvo we will get to the future faster, together.”
