Volvo plans to fast track development in autonomous driving tech through real-world tests in China's urban sprawls and calling for support from the world's governments.
Volvo has plans to send a fleet of cars fitted with autonomous driving tech for a series of tests on public roads with local drivers. In China. Up to one hundred vehicles, to be more precise.
At an event in Beijing, Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson announced that the company will be in discussions with Chinese authorities to organise the program, finding out which cities or smaller communities would be able to accommodate the allocation of autonomous test vehicles on their roads while conforming to the federal and local laws and regulations.
These 100 some-odd vehicles won’t be sent over to China for testing at least until the tail of 2017 as Volvo plans to reveal their breadth of autonomous driving technologies at a public test in Sweden before following through with a real world test.
Volvo has previously stressed the importance of self-driving technologies in vehicles, believing their continued development has the ability to dramatically reduce accidents as well as free up congested roads by intelligently routing traffic, thereby also reducing pollution through the reduction of idle fuel burning.
“There are multiple benefits to AD cars,” said Samuelsson. “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.”
“It is natural for us to work together,” he continued. “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.”
Volvo also seems to be talking up the measures that are being undertaken by the Chinese government to implement more sustainable solutions to transport and driving change through legislation, hoping other countries will follow suit to fast track the adoption of a more environmentally conscious mindset by the populace.
As it happens, the Middle Kingdom’s network of roads provides the most suitable crucible for the Swedish automaker to field test these kinds of technologies.
The air pollution in China’s major cities are already pushing record highs, with a lot of it due to the inordinate amounts of congestion that plagues the roads. Furthermore, the capacity to test autonomous driving technology in more open landscapes are ample in less developed areas. Furthermore, Geely, Volvo’s parent company is based in China, making the move a natural fit to further develop the systems on familiar territory and where it is needed most.
