The rubber is about the meet the road in a very literal way for Autonomous Driving (AD) technology, as Volvo has just announced that it will be launching a pilot program in China that will feature real drivers and real roads to test the deployment of self-driving vehicles. This marks the first time full AD technology will be available in real-world situations; at Weston Volvo, we’ll be watching the experiment closely to see how the implementation of AD technology in a real-life setting fares.
Volvo will seek drivers who commute into the city (which city remains undetermined) on the highway, as highway driving is relatively easy compared to city driving, since it generally lacks intersections and traffic lights. There will be another, smaller program launched in Gothenburg, Sweden, but it will only focus on a stretch of road pre-authorized by the government for AD vehicles.
“AD [Autonomous Driving] is not just about car technology. We need the right rules and the right laws. It is natural for us to work together [with legislators]. Our starting point is that both the public and private sectors stand to benefit from new technologies and industries, so it is better to build bridges and work together than to all go in different directions.” –Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo
Since we don’t know exactly when or where the China pilot will take place, we unfortunately can’t give you much more information, but it does seem like we’re on the precipice of AD technology finally arriving in our driveways. It’s not quite here yet, however. While we watch the other half of the globe for how this great experiment will play out, come on into our Davie, FL showroom where we’ve got a great selection of driver-driven Volvo models for you to choose from.