Uber To Offer Rides In Fully Autonomous Volvo XC90s Soon

Every major car manufacturer worth its salt, including, notably, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, are in the race to develop fully autonomous cars right now. However, their products might take a while to hit the mainstream market. Meanwhile, Uber, the transportation network company, will be the first in making this technology accessible to the public by offering them self-driven Volvo XC90s soon.

By collaborating with the Swedish carmaker in this experimental stage, Uber wants its customers to get a chance to ride in the self-driven XC90 SUVs. In a statement, the company’s spokesperson said, “Starting later this month, Uber will allow customers in downtown Pittsburgh to summon self-driving cars from their phones, crossing an important milestone that no automotive or technology company has yet achieved.”

Uber’s partner Volvo, meanwhile, has confirmed the development of self-driven car technology and stated that “Both Uber and Volvo will use the same base vehicle for the next stage of their own autonomous car strategies.”

As of now, Uber users who opt for this autonomous drive will not be charged a single penny. Instead, they will be provided with a tablet which will enable them to stay informed of the car’s abilities. The car will be operated through an app and will also have a driver who will help steer the car when required, along with an observer. 

This step taken by Uber implies a major step in the development of autonomous cars and also falls in line with Volvo’s objective to develop fully autonomous cars by 2021.