100 Volvos, no drivers to hit the roads

Volvo is to introduce 100 driverless cars on to public roads as part of the world's first large-scale autonomous driving pilot.

The cars will drive in normal, everyday road conditions, surrounded by pedestrians and other traffic, and will even be able to self-park, as the Swedish car-maker (which is now under Chinese ownership) attempts to demonstrate the benefits, including improved safety and efficiency, of self-driving vehicles.

Volvo is working alongside the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Transport Agency, Lindholmen Science Park and the City of Gothenburg, with the goal of positioning both it and Sweden as leaders in the development of future mobility.

Called "Drive Me - Self-driving cars for sustainable mobility", the pilot scheme gets under way next year with customer research and further development of technology.

The cars themselves won't appear until 2017, when they will drive on about 50km of public roads in and around Gothenburg, described as "typical commuter arteries" that include motorway conditions and traffic jams.

"Autonomous vehicles are an integrated part of Volvo cars as well as the Swedish government's vision of zero traffic fatalities. This public pilot represents an important step towards this goal," says Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of the Volvo Car Group.

"It will give us an insight into the technological challenges at the same time as we get valuable feedback from real customers driving on public roads."

The pilot also aims to establish infrastructure requirements for autonomous driving , suitable traffic conditions and customer confidence in the vehicles. I nteraction with other drivers is also key.

However, the trial doesn't necessarily spell the beginning of the end for the role of the driver.

Volvo says that whoever is at the wheel must be expected to be available for occasional control, albeit with a comfortable transition time.