Volvo reveals Ride Pilot, its new unsupervised self-driving tech

Volvo has announced its Ride Pilot self-driving technology which will permit what it claims is “unsupervised” driving on future vehicles.

The news was revealed at the recent 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where Volvo said its next-generation vehicles such as its incoming electric SUV will offer Ride Pilot as soon as it’s approved.

4

It hopes Ride Pilot will give back time to drivers for “secondary activities”, like “reading, writing, working or socialising”, leaving vehicle operation up to the Ride Pilot program.

However, drivers will still need to be present behind the wheel in case of emergencies.

Volvo hasn’t revealed when it will debut Ride Pilot. It’s only promised Californian customers will be offered the technology first after it passes “rigorous” verification.

4

The brand also says the technology will be optioned as a subscription service but withheld any further details about cost or duration. However, Volvo does say the software will be improved over time through over-the-air updates.

That’s because a state-of-the-art sensor setup based around more than 24 sensors and a cutting-edge Iris LiDAR will be built into its future electric vehicles, whether Ride Pilot is optioned or not.

4

At first, the technology will only be able to be used on approved highways. Volvo will begin testing on Californian highways mid-year to complement a program underway on roads in Sweden.

Volvo will join other companies developing autonomous driving technology in California like Alphabet and General Motors. It hopes to roll out Ride Pilot to other markets around the globe after its proposed introduction in California.