Volvo to launch autonomous driving experiment in China

The car manufacturer expects the experiment to involve up to 100 cars and will in coming months begin negotiations with interested cities in China to see which is able to provide the necessary permissions, regulations and infrastructure to allow the experiment to go ahead. Volvo believes the introduction of AD technology promises to reduce car accidents as well as free up congested roads, reduce pollution and allows drivers to use their time in their cars more valuably. “Autonomous driving can make a significant contribution to road safety,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo. “The sooner AD cars are on the roads, the sooner lives will start being saved.” Mr Samuelsson welcomes the positive steps China has taken to put in place to develop autonomous driving technologies, but also encourages ithe country to do more to try and speed up the implementation of the regulations that will oversee autonomous driving cars in future. “There are multiple benefits to AD cars,” said Mr Samuelsson. “That is why governments need to put in place the legislation to allow AD cars onto the streets as soon as possible. The car industry cannot do it all by itself. We need governmental help.”