Volvo’s first self-driving cars now being tested live on public roads in Sweden

Self driving cars are hitting the road in Sweden! Volvo Car Group’s “Drive Me” project involving 100 cars is now being tested in the streets in the Swedish city of Gothenburg.

“The test cars are now able to handle lane following, speed adaption, and merging traffic all by themselves,” says Erik Coelingh, Technical Specialist atVolvo Car Group.

The car can be driven normally, but it also features an Autopilot option, which controls the car in all its aspects.

“This is an important step towards our aim that the final ‘Drive Me’ cars will be able to drive the whole test route in highly autonomous mode. The technology, which will be called Autopilot, enables the driver to hand over the driving to the vehicle, which takes care of all driving functions.”

What I really like about Volvo’s project is that it involves all the stakeholders: real customers, a big car company, legislators, transport authorities and a major city’s traffic. The customers will “drive” the 100 cars in everyday driving conditions on approximately 50 kilometers on the roads of Gothenburg, which include typical commuter arteries, including motorway conditions and frequent queues.

“Drive Me — self-driving cars for sustainable mobility” is a joint initiative between Volvo Car Group, the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Transport Agency, Lindholmen Science Park and the City of Gothenburg. The Swedish Government is endorsing the project.

So far, so good, but a test, even conducted in a real city, is a test – and real life is nothing like test. Will self driving cars start “hitting the shelves” worldwide soon, or are we still in science fiction area? What do you think?