Self-Driving Volvo Cars Hit San Francisco Streets with Uber

The partnership between the ride-sharing company, Uber, and the Swedish automaker, Volvo, was announced earlier this year. The two companies joined forces with the goal of bringing autonomous cars and self-driving technology to American roadways sooner, rather than later. The signed agreement between Uber and Volvo established the start of a joint project that was introduced as a way to incorporate the latest autonomous driving technology into Uber’s fleet of ride-sharing vehicles. Base vehicles have been manufactured by the Scandinavian automotive company and then purchased by Uber for use in its ride-sharing program. Both companies have invested a combined 300 million dollars to the project thus far, and their efforts are already beginning to pay off. While an autonomous Volvo lease may not be in the works for some time yet, if you live in Pittsburgh or San Francisco, you may be able to catch a ride from one of these self-driving cars as soon as today.

Volvo to Unleash Self-Driving Volvo Cars in San Francisco

The first fleet of cars released on public roadways by Uber is the Volvo XC90 SUV. Volvo has designed and equipped each XC90 SUV with self-driving technology developed by Uber, and has unleashed them on the streets of Pittsburgh and San Francisco for the launch of the project’s first and second pilot testing program.

All of the Volvo XC90 SUVs that are a part of the autonomous driving pilot program through Uber were assembled by Volvo along with its mainstream models that will eventually ship to dealerships. Once assembled, the new Volvo XC90s were shipped to Uber’s headquarters in Fremont, California, where they were outfitted with the tech-savvy self-driving technology. Uber’s fleet of XC90s are distinguishable from privately-owned versions of the SUV, and feature visible lidar equipment and multiple roof-mounted cameras. Aside from their external aesthetic differences, all of the Uber-owned Volvo XC90 SUVs are otherwise identical to stock models sold at dealerships across the United States.

Aside from being geographically convenient for Uber to deploy its second pilot program in San Francisco, the ridesharing company chose the California city for a number of other reasons. The Golden City is known for its winding streets, narrow roadways, and location found largely on a hillside. Uber has explained that it chose San Francisco because the company will be able to better gauge how the self-driving XC90s navigate through various weather conditions, steep roadways, narrow lanes, and urban traffic density.

How Uber is Introducing Self-Driving Cars to the World

To sum it up, very carefully. While Uber’s end goal is to introduce self-driving Volvo models in cities across the United States, it must first prove that the technology is safe, effective, and economical. The company has already tested this concept in Pittsburgh, and the first pilot program was largely successful.

If you find yourself in the Golden City and in need of an Uber ride, you can boost your chances of hailing a driverless XC90 by requesting an UberX ride from the company’s smartphone app. Because the technology is still so new, people are skeptical about how it works, and whether or not it is safe. Successfully hailing a driverless Uber in San Fran may be the highlight of a millennial’s young life, but that excitement can fizzle out once the car pulls up with a technician on board. Currently, Uber’s fleet of self-driving XC90 models are being accompanied by a technician at all times. Not only is this person positioned as a source of comfort and peace of mind for riders who are unsure of self-driving technology, they are also tasked with taking notes on how the car performs. Of course, a human presence in the driverless SUV means that they can intervene in case of emergency, which each of these technicians is trained to do.

Surprisingly enough, Uber has not officially been granted legal rights to deploy self-driving cars on California roadways, but the company doesn’t seem to care. In a recent press release that recognized the fact that they don’t have a permit to test their autonomous driving technology in San Francisco, Uber representatives said that, “We understand that there is a debate over whether or not we need a testing permit to launch self-driving Ubers in San Francisco. We have looked at this issue carefully and we don’t believe we do. Several cities and states have recognized that complex rules and requirements could have the unintended consequence of slowing innovation. Our hope is that California, our home state and a leader in much of the world’s dynamism, will take a similar view.” Uber’s press release also made sure to point out the fact that the San Francisco self-driving pilot program will operate the same as the one in Pittsburgh. By placing a representative from the company on each self-driving UberX, the company believes that it is operating safely within the realm of lawful compliance.

Despite the fact that California has not yet passed laws regarding self-driving cars, other states like Michigan are leading legislative efforts to make autonomous driving technology more accessible. The Motor City state recently passed four separate bills that make testing, producing, and selling driverless vehicles legal and easier than other states in the nation.

Uber’s Partnership with Volvo Cars

Uber opted for a partnership with Volvo Cars, specifically, for a long list of reasons. First and foremost, Volvo is known worldwide for its commitment to vehicle safety. Because the self-driving car technology is relatively new, and mostly foreign to the public, Volvo was hand selected by Uber to instill peace of mind and confidence by users of their rideshare program. Aside from in-vehicle safety technology, Volvo Cars is also known for advancing automotive development in other critical areas. From premium luxury appointments, high-level comfort, to exceptional on-road performance, Volvo Cars is the perfect vessel for Uber’s self-driving vehicle technology.

The future of Uber and Volvo’s joint partnership remains to be seen, but if their recent expansion into California is any indication of their long-term success, it appears that the company will be seeking fewer drivers for its global rideshare program as the years progress.