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Volvo says all its new vehicles now support over-the-air updates
Volvo now offers over-the-air (OTA) software updates across its entire vehicle lineup, it announced.
Volvo and Uber's first self-driving car is ready for the road
Two years later, Volvo and Uber are ready to show off their first purpose-built self-driving car. They've introduced a variant of the XC90 SUV that's designed to accept and work with Uber's autonomous driving system from the outset. It packs sensors both above and built-in to help the vehicle navigate city streets on its own. Safety-conscious Volvo, however, is keen to tout "several" backup systems for braking, steering and power that will bring the SUV to a controlled stop if the main components fail.
Volvo reduces autonomous driving tests to find the right sensors
Volvo is adjusting the timeline on its ambitious Drive Me autonomous program until it can find the right sensors. "The development in sensor performance and processor capabilities is going so much faster than we expected in 2013," program director Marcus Rothoff recently told Automotive News Europe. "Because advancements are being made at such a rapid pace, we want to make this decision as late as possible."
Uber orders up to 24,000 Volvo SUVs for its self-driving fleet
Uber has just taken another big step from a ride-sharing service to a transportation provider. It announced that it will buy up to 24,000 Volvo XC90s, marking the first major vehicle fleet purchase by a ride-hailing service. Uber will take delivery of the SUVs between 2019 and 2021, then equip them with its own sensors and tech, allowing it to do fully autonomous, driver-free passenger rides. "This new agreement puts us on a path toward mass-produced, self-driving vehicles at scale," Uber's Jeff Miller told Bloomberg.
Volvo melds technology and luxury in the XC90 T8 hybrid
The name Volvo conjures up the incredibly safe but visually bland 240 Wagon sold during the '70s, '80s and '90s. You'd buy a Volvo because you were practical and possibly a bit paranoid about other drivers slamming into you. But the Swedish automaker has been working hard to make its cars not only safe but also stylish and high-tech. That work has culminated in the hybrid XC90 T8 luxury SUV.
Uber brings its self-driving cars to San Francisco
Uber's self-driving cars are now roaming beyond the streets of Pittsburgh. The ridesharing firm has started deploying autonomous vehicles in downtown San Francisco, giving UberX passengers a (small) chance at ordering a robotic ride. There's still a driver ready to take over when the car can't navigate by itself, but you're in for a special experience all the same -- especially since these aren't just the modified Fords from the Pittsburgh test.
Volvo will test self-driving cars on the public next year
Volvo has been working on its autonomous vehicle program for several years now, but there's only so much you can learn from testing tech in controlled conditions. While the company has run trials on public roads before, it's now planning to take engineers and technicians out of the equation to see how regular road users take to self-driving cars. As part of its ongoing "Drive Me" project, Volvo is going to put real people behind the wheels of "semi-autonomous" vehicles from early next year, in order to understand how they are suited to everyday scenarios like doing the school run and picking up the weekly grocery shop.
Volvo is the latest to add phone-free Spotify to its rides
Volvo has been involved with a fair bit of high-tech stuff as of late, but the latest announcement from the company is a little less fantastical than garbage-collecting robots. The Swedish car manufacturer is partnering with Stockholm-based Spotify for a native streaming app in its XC90 SUV, S90 sedan (above) and V90 wagon this spring, no mobile device required. Accessing the streaming service in your new ride will require a Spotify Premium account, much like using it on a PlayStation 4 or other device would.
