Uber set to acquire 24,000 driverless cars from Volvo

Uber has agreed to buy tens of thousand of self-driving vehicles from Volvo between 2019 and 2021.

This non-exclusive agreement will see Volvo provide Uber with up to 24,000 of its flagship XC90 SUVs, which are autonomous driving-compatible base vehicles.

The vehicles incorporate all the necessary safety, redundancy and core autonomous-driving technologies that are required for Uber to add its own self-driving technology.

Last year, Uber commenced testing prototypes made by Volvo in the US.

Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars, said: “The automotive industry is being disrupted by technology, and Volvo Cars chooses to be an active part of that disruption.

“Our aim is to be the supplier of choice for AD ride-sharing service providers globally. Today’s agreement with Uber is a primary example of that strategic direction.”

Jeff Miller, head of auto alliances at Uber, added: “We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Volvo. This new agreement puts us on a path towards mass-produced self-driving vehicles at scale.”

At the same time as providing Uber with AD-compatible cars, Volvo will use the same base vehicle in the development of its own independent autonomous-car strategy, which will see the release of its first fully autonomous car in 2021.

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