The next target of Volvo's "Drive Me" program that aims to introduce self-driving cars in the year 2020 is populous China.
This "Drive Me" initiative will lead with the company's XC90 car models that will test out a number of advanced technologies that promote safety measures and autonomous driving. A "360 Surround View," that enables the car to sense the environment around it; an "Adaptive Cruise Control" that adjusts the car's speed; Volvo's "Pilot Assist Technology" and the "Lane Keeping Aid" that make sure the car stays on the right path; a "Driver Alert Control" that will monitor its driver's state; and a "City Safety" feature that will adapt the car's mobility in urban cases.
Coelingh adds that companies have to understand the different driving situations prevalent in unique regions around the globe if we want to arrive at an age of self-driving cars. Just because cars work well in a certain region, that is, Gothenburg, doesn't mean they will produce the same results in another area like Beijing or London.
China was chosen because of its populous urban statistics and the prevalent heavy road traffic, "brutal air pollution, and more than 200,000 traffic-related deaths each year."
