Volvo planning BIG Autonomous Driving trial in China (+video)

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Volvo is planning to launch an advanced autonomous driving experiment in China using local drivers and up to 100 Volvo cars.

Back in 2013, Volvo revealed plans to to get 100 autonomous drive (AD) cars on the roads of Gothenburg – in a project called Drive Me – in conjunction with the Swedish Transportation Administration, for feedback and development as local drivers use the self-driving cars to go about their daily business.

Now, as Volvo is as much Chinese as it is Swedish (well, in terms of ownership) Volvo are planning a similar scheme in China, with up to 100 self-driving Volvos out on China’s roads in what they’re calling “China’s most advanced autonomous driving experiment”.

It’s all part of Volvo’s plans to remove the driving from the idiot behind the wheel and hand control over to computers, in an effort to make it impossible to die in a Volvo accident by 2020.

Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo CEO, said:

Autonomous driving can make a significant contribution to road safety. The sooner AD cars are on the roads, the sooner lives will start being saved.

There are multiple benefits to AD cars, that is why governments need to put in place the legislation to allow AD cars onto the streets as soon as possible. The car industry cannot do it all by itself. We need governmental help.

Volvo point out that AD cars will not only cut accidents, but also reduce emissions by improving traffic flow, reduce congestion and buy back time drivers would otherwise spend controlling their car.

But Volvo are taking no chances with self-driving cars, and they won’t be rolling out as completely autonomous until they are as error free as any technology can ever be. Especially as Volvo has declared that they will take insurance responsibility for any crash when one of their autonomous cars is driving itself.

Volvo Drive-Me Self Driving Cars Video