Google has clocked up over 1 million autonomous miles on the roads around Mountain View, and in March automotive component maker Delphi was allowed to autonomously drive a specially adapted Audi from San Francisco to New York, a record distance of 5,471km.
Advertisement
Samuelsson said that the “patchwork of rules and regulations” in Europe has harmed the region’s development as a hub for testing and developing autonomous vehicles. It would be a shame if the United States took a similar path to Europe in this crucial area.
It believes the USA is now the most progressive country in the world when it comes to self-driving cars, however, the auto maker is pushing U.S. regulators to establish Federal guidelines for autonomous cars.
The Swedish carmaker, which for decades has branded itself as safe and dependable, is not the first company to make such a pledge, but the boldness of its statement made waves on Thursday.
Highlighting the fact that the main thing which is holding back “autonomous driving” is not technology but regulations, Samuelsson said in a recent press release: “If we are to ensure a smooth transition to autonomous mobility then together we must create the necessary framework that will support this”.
This is especially a concern as self-driving cars have implications regarding how vehicle insurances will work and the which laws may need to change, or even in terms of lawsuits.
Mr Samuelsson will clearly state Volvo’s position on both of these contentious issues.
Addressing a gathering at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington DC, Hakan Samuelsson, CEO Volvo, stated that the company would “accept full liability” if its autonomous cars crash due to a fault in the system.
Advertisement
Volvo says instead, it is “constantly evolving defensive software to counter the risks associated with hacking a vehicle”. “We do not blame Apple, or Microsoft for computer viruses or hackers”, he will say.
