Volvo CEO believes self-driving cars are far from achieved

news7f01/24/2023

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Volvo CEO believes self-driving cars are far from achieved

Volvo CEO Jim Rowan believes that fully autonomous cars still have a long way to go, despite the growing maturity in this segment. Rowan also said that the current system of classifying self-driving cars into five different levels is meaningless. He also told Australian automotive publication Car Expert that baseless claims around self-driving technology no longer inflate the value of manufacturers’ stocks as they did a few years ago.

Via:
Car table HT

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Update on:
January 24, 2023, 09:55 am

The Volvo EX90 comes with a host of cameras and sensors on the vehicle to create a safer driving system, which can be seen as an important step in autonomous driving. (AP) — The Volvo EX90 comes with a host of cameras and sensors on the vehicle to create a safer driving system, which can be seen as an important step in autonomous driving. **(AP)**

Rowan adds that there are only two levels of autonomy. That’s when you put your hands on the steering wheel (Advanced Driving Assistance System or ADAS) and take your hands off the wheel (Automatic Driving or AD). The Volvo boss believes fully self-driving technology is already there, but the problem lies with the regulations, as the rules currently don’t allow fully autonomous driving technology. He further explained that implementing self-driving technology such as driving in the city is a long way off.

Also read: CES 2023: Electronic exhibition returns to reality after self-driving car bubble burst

Interestingly, the Volvo CEO’s view echoes the perception of his predecessor Hakan Samuelsson on the subject. He believes that public perception of self-driving cars is not as positive as some people think. As he explains, many consumers are still skeptical about autonomous driving technology and concerned about its safety.

However, despite commenting on this, Volvo’s CEO also hinted that this does not mean that the company will stop developing advanced technology. The Swedish luxury car brand is still working on its software stack to create fully autonomous driving technology. “In terms of technology, I’m pretty confident that we’ll have the technology to do that when the law allows it to happen under certain conditions,” added Rowan.

For example, the automaker’s first three-row electric Volvo EX90 was introduced at CES 2023 a few days ago and comes with eight cameras combined with a range of sensors including one range, five radars and sixteen ultrasonic sensors. All these cameras and sensors on the bodywork create an ecosystem designed to respond and react faster than humans can.

First published date: January 24, 2023, 09:55 AM IST