The first fully autonomous, self-driving Volvo automobile that will be handed over to a member of the general public use it on public roadways, presented of the company’s factory on Friday. Volvo’s ‘Drive Me’ is presently the world’s most enthusiastic autonomous driving project and one that Volvo plans to carry out with real individuals in real driving circumstances.
After almost 2 years of testing and advancement work with Volvo engineers in controlled environments on the streets of Gothenburg located in Sweden, the vehicles are now all set to satisfy their public and for the genuine testing to start.
“This is a crucial turning point for the Drive Me project,” stated Erik Coelingh, Senior Technical Leader Active Safety at Volvo Cars. “Customers look at their cars differently than us engineers, so we are eagerly anticipating find out how they use these vehicles in their daily lives and exactly what feedback they will provide us.”
The self-driving vehicles are based on the company’s present XC90 SUV flagship and though production is now in progress, Volvo is quick to mention that each vehicle will be subjected to some rigorous testing prior to being handed over to a member of the public.
The testing in Gothenburg is simply one of a number of comparable trials Volvo is conducting as part of ‘Drive Me’. For example, next year it will be ready to hand over the keys to clients in London for real-life testing and is evaluating the feasibility of bringing ‘Drive Me’ to a Chinese town.
