Volvo Cars is planning to launch an advanced autonomous driving experiment in China, where local drivers will test autonomous driving cars on public roads in everyday driving conditions.

Volvo expects the experiment to involve up to 100 cars and will in the coming months begin negotiations with interested cities in China to see which is able to provide the necessary permissions, regulations and infrastructure to allow the experiment to go ahead.

The Swedish automaker believes the introduction of autonomous driving technology promises to reduce car accidents as well as free up congested roads, reduce pollution and allows drivers to use their time in their cars more valuably.

Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo has also scheduled a seminar in Beijing today entitled 'Autonomous driving – could China take the lead?' Samuelsson will welcome the positive steps China has taken to put in place to develop autonomous driving technologies, but will also encourage it to do more to try and speed up the implementation of the regulations that will oversee autonomous driving cars in future.

“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,” he added.

“AD is not just about car technology. We need the right rules and the right laws. It is natural for us to work together. 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,” as per Samuelsson.

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