Volvo has confirmed its autonomous Drive Me project is underway in Gothenburg, Sweden, with 100 autonomous prototypes already in use under real driving conditions on public roads.

“The test cars are now able to handle lane following, speed adaption and merging traffic all by themselves. This is an important step towards our aim that the final ‘Drive Me’ cars will be able to drive the whole test route in highly autonomous mode. The technology, which will be called Autopilot, enables the driver to hand over the driving to the vehicle, which takes care of all driving functions,” says Erik Coelingh, Technical Specialist at Volvo Car Group.

Under the very specific conditions set by the program, 100 people will “drive” the self-driving cars on a predetermined set of roads. Approximately 50 km of roadways will be part of the test and they include everything from commuter arteries to highway conditions that are subject to frequent queues.

Other companies are already working on their own autonomous driving systems, however Volvo say project Drive Me is notable because it brings something new to the game including legislators, transport authorities, a major city, a vehicle manufacturer and customers.

Volvo Self Driving Cars video