Volvo Begins Field Tests Of Autonomous Cars With Swedish Families

Volvo Cars will from today start developing its autonomous drive cars with help from Swedish families who will test their cars on the public roads of Gothenburg and communicate their impressions to Volvo Cars' engineers.

Dubbed the Drive Me project - the first two Swedish families, the Hains and the Simonovskis from the Gothenburg area, have now received the Volvo XC90 SUV fitted with Volvo’s latest driver assistance technology, and an array of cameras and sensors to monitor their behavior and provide the car with information on its surroundings.

During the initial stages, drivers will still keep their hands on the steering wheel and supervise the driving at all times when using their cars. But, over time, all participants in the Drive Me project will gradually be introduced to more advanced assisted driving cars, after receiving special training. Even then, testing these more advanced cars will initially take place in controlled environments with supervision from a Volvo Cars safety expert.

Three more families will join the Hains and the Simonovskis early next year and over the next four years, up to 100 people will be involved in the Drive Me project.