Volvo partners with Uber to develop autonomous vehicles

Volvo has announced a partnership with Uber, the world’s leading rise sharing company, to develop autonomous driving technologies.

Both companies have signed an agreement to invest $300 million into the project, which will see Volvo develop a new base vehicle that will be able to incorporate the latest developments in autonomous driving technologies.

While the deal marks the next of both Uber and Volvo’s autonomous driving strategies, they will develop the technologies independently of each other using the same base vehicle.

Volvo is hailing the deal as a ‘significant step in the automotive business’ and has said it hopes it is the first stage of a longer industrial partnership.

The new base vehicles will be developed on Volvo’s fully modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which is currently used on the XC90 SUV, as well as the S90 premium saloon and V90 premium estate.

Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars, said: “Volvo is a world leader in the development of active safety and autonomous drive technology, and possesses an unrivalled safety credibility. We are very proud to be the partner of choice for Uber, one of the world’s leading technology companies. This alliance places Volvo at the heart of the current technological revolution in the automotive industry.”

Travis Kalanick, Uber’s chief executive, said: “Over one million people die in car accidents every year. These are tragedies that self-driving technology can help solve, but we can’t do this alone. That’s why our partnership with a great manufacturer like Volvo is so important. Volvo is a leader in vehicle development and best-in-class when it comes to safety. By combining the capabilities of Uber and Volvo we will get to the future faster, together.”

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