Volvo Autonomous Cars Could Hit Chinese Roads Soon

Autonomous cars (believe it or not) are being worked on by more than just Alphabet Inc. and Tesla Motors, companies like Toyota, Ford and Volvo all have their own research cooking too. Many believe the future of transportation is in autonomous cars and companies are testing their tech fervently trying to be the first to the market. While it’s anyone’s guess as to how far out we are from autonomous cars being a reality on public streets, we can all agree that there is a ton that must be done before it happens. Volvo is working with the Chinese government and Chinese automaker Geely on an experiment to bring its autonomous cars to public roads and under control of private citizens. Volvo is also working on a similar project in Sweden slated to begin in 2017, check out the video below.

https://youtu.be/asKvI8ybJ5U

This is a step forward from what anyone else is doing and the company is actively vetting cities in China who will be able to support such an experiment. Volvo wants to have 100 XC90 crossovers on Chinese roads and in the program. The deal isn’t set in stone yet and there is much to be done before one tire hits the pavement, but just the idea of open road testing with private drivers is a big deal.

“Autonomous driving can make a significant contribution to road safety,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo, in an emailed press release. “The sooner AD cars are on the roads, the sooner lives will start being saved. The car industry cannot do it all by itself. We need governmental help.”

It will be interesting to see how this experiment goes, if approved by both China and Sweden. What do you think of this project? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

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Last Updated on January 23, 2017.