Volvo
Car Group’s groundbreaking project ‘Drive Me’ – featuring 100 self-driving
Volvos on public roads in everyday driving conditions – is moving forward
rapidly. According to a company statement, the first test cars are already
rolling around the Swedish city of Gothenburg and the sophisticated Autopilot
technology is performing well.
“The test cars are now able to handle lane
following, speed adaption and merging traffic all by themselves. This is an
important step towards our aim that the final ‘Drive Me’ cars will be able to
drive the whole test route in highly autonomous mode. The technology, which
will be called Autopilot, enables the driver to hand over the driving to the
vehicle, which takes care of all driving functions,” says Erik Coelingh,
Technical Specialist at Volvo Car Group.
What
makes the ‘Drive Me’ project unique is that it involves all the key players:
legislators, transport authorities, a major city, a vehicle manufacturer and
real customers. The customers will drive the 100 cars in everyday driving
conditions on approximately 50 kilometres of selected roads in and around
Gothenburg. These roads are typical commuter arteries, including motorway
conditions and frequent queues.
“That
Volvo Cars’ hometown Gothenburg becomes the world’s first arena for
self-driving cars in everyday driving conditions demonstrates both our
technological leadership and Sweden’s dedication to pioneering the integration
of self-driving vehicles,” says Erik Coelingh.
‘Drive
Me – Self-driving cars for sustainable mobility’ is a joint initiative between
Volvo Car Group, the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Transport
Agency, Lindholmen Science Park and the City of Gothenburg. The Swedish
Government is endorsing the project.
Source: Volvo Cars Group