Volvo's autonomous driving programme heads to UK

Volvo Cars has announced that it will be launching the UK’s biggest autonomous driving trial in London next year, called Drive Me London. The Swedish car maker will supply members of the public with autonomous technology-equipped XC90s in order to collect real-world driving data to further develop its software for future production models.

The drivers will be able to use each XC90 as their own daily vehicle, with Volvo saying the approach allows it to collect the most realistic data possible. The alternative would be to use controlled test environments, but Volvo says this would provide it with unrealistic data.

The car maker is yet to decide how it will choose appropriate candidates for the public test, but likely options include contacting current Volvo owners or allowing people to apply.

Volvo says the programme will commence in 2017 before evolving to include up to 100 cars in 2018. It claims this will make it the largest and most extensive autonomous driving programme of its type in Britain.

The trial will run simultaneously with another that will take place in Sweden in Volvo’s home city of Gothenburg, and a similar programme that’s set to commence in China.

“Autonomous driving represents a leap forward in car safety,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo. “The sooner AD cars are on the roads, the sooner lives will start being saved.”

Samuelsson believes vehicles with autonomous capability on certain sections of road will be in production in just five years. “Without doubt, crash frequency will dramatically reduce.”

The Volvo boss has asked legislators to mirror the work his company is doing by working on new infrastructure to facilitate autonomous cars. “The car industry cannot do it all by itself,” he said. “We need governmental help.”

Volvo has been demonstrating its autonomous technology since last year and more recently announced that it wants to sell a total of one million electrified cars (including fully electric and plug-in hybrid models) by 2025. The car maker says these ambitious plans reaffirm its status as a world leader in future car technology.