VOLVO Cars has signed a framework agreement with Uber to sell tens of thousands of autonomous driving-compatible base vehicles between 2019 and 2021. The non-exclusive agreement builds on the strategic partnership that has existed between Volvo Cars and Uber since August 2016.
Volvo and Uber engineers have worked to develop the XC90 premium SUVs that are to be supplied to Uber, which incorporate the necessary safety, redundancy and core autonomous-driving technologies required for Uber to add its own self-driving technology, the company said.
Håkan Samuelsson, President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars, said: “Our aim is to be the supplier of choice for Autonomous Drive ridesharing service providers globally.
Today’s agreement with Uber is a primary example of that strategic direction.”
Volvo plans to use the same base vehicle in the development of its own independent autonomouscar strategy, which is planned to culminate in the release of its first fully autonomous car in 2021.
