Volvo Introduces Family of Four in Autonomous Vehicles ‘Drive Me’ Project
The Hain family and Volvo Cars President and CEO Håkan Samuelsson
Many automakers are jumping on the autonomous vehicle trend and trying to get ahead by creating innovative and creative projects. Honda and Fiat Chrysler are both in talks with Google’s Waymo self-driving vehicle program while Kia introduced an autonomous Soul concept at SEMA. To stay ahead of the trend, Volvo recently introduced the Drive Me project at the Detroit Auto Show.
The project features a spotlight on the Hain family (from Gothenburg, Sweden) and focuses on how autonomous vehicles can improve their daily life. One thing that Volvo believes many automakers are forgetting is the human factor of the autonomous lifestyle. While it’s great that many are creating the technology, Volvo believes that it’s important to see how people will use the self-driving vehicles.
Illustration of research cameras on Volvo’s XC90 Drive Me car
“We do things differently at Volvo Cars – we always have,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President & CEO, Volvo Car Group. “Our main focus has always been on people and making their lives easier. Technology should improve the consumer experience making mobility safer, sustainable and more convenient.”
The Hain family won’t be the only humans participating in the project. Many other Gothenburg residents will be testing out the autonomous technology from Volvo. The Drive Me project is what Volvo calls, “the most advanced, ambitious, and extensive real-life autonomous drive project in existence.”
Volvo XC90 Drive Me test vehicle
“We want to learn more around how people feel when they engage and disengage autonomous drive, what the handover should be like, and what sort of things they would do in the car when it’s driving them to their destination,” stated Henrik Green, Senior Vice President, Research and Development at Volvo Car Group.
Volvo plans to present its first fully autonomous vehicle in 2021.
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.