Does Volvo Have a Self-Driving Car?

Volvo is currently developing its flagship all-electric SUV to be compatible with their still-unreleased Ride Pilot autonomous driving technology.
Written by Ethan Moser
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
Volvo’s
Ride Pilot autonomous driving system will be unveiled in 2022 alongside its flagship all-electric SUV, making it the brand’s first model to offer self-driving technology. 
The thought of self-driving cars being a staple of our everyday driving lives has taken the automotive world by storm over the last few years. With several automotive manufacturers nearly ready to unveil their self-driving technology, when can we expect to get behind the wheel of our first autonomous vehicles (AVs)?
While manufacturers like Tesla are racing to be the first to piece together fully autonomous cars, other automakers are focusing their sights on something more attainable by developing driver assistance tech that will allow their models to be partially autonomous. 
Volvo is currently developing its own self-driving technology. Here with all the latest details on Volvo’s future in autonomous driving is
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Does Volvo have a self-driving car?

In short—not yet, but they’re working on it.
In January of 2022, Volvo announced that it was developing a self-driving technology system called
Ride Pilot
. Ride Pilot, according to Volvo, will be released alongside the automaker’s newest all-electric SUV later this year. Unlike some of its competitors, however, Volvo’s Ride Pilot will require owners to pay for a subscription service to be able to access the technology. 
Ride Pilot is not a fully automated driving technology but is instead a Level 3 autonomous system. With Ride Pilot, Volvo models will be able to drive autonomously but only under certain conditions. Volvo is currently marketing the technology as being compatible with highway-only driving, meaning that the driver must be in control under any other circumstance. 
By using Ride Pilot,
Volvo claims
that “drivers will be able to free up time while driving, and spend it on secondary activities like reading, writing, working or socializing,” ensuring drivers that their technology is more than just a glorified cruise control system. 
They also claim that the self-driving technology will allow Volvo drivers to arrive at their destinations without the “mental strain that may come with driving, especially in traffic jams or heavy traffic”.
Ride Pilot will accomplish these self-driving tasks with the help of Luminar’s LiDAR sensor technology. LiDAR uses five radars, eight cameras, and sixteen ultrasonic sensors to provide Volvo’s upcoming fully electric SUV with perception reliability and full redundancy in order to achieve a safe and enjoyable autonomous driving experience. 
Key Takeaway The forthcoming fully electric Volvo SUV will offer drivers the option to subscribe to Volvo’s Ride Pilot self-driving technology system by the end of 2022. 
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How do self-driving cars work? 

To some people, the idea of self-driving cars still feels like a thing of the distant future, but the reality is that automakers are developing self-driving automotive technology right now. However, these self-driving cars won’t look like the fully autonomous vehicles from your favorite science fiction shows. Instead, the reality of self-driving cars is less ostentatious and much more complicated.
There are a variety of self-driving technologies in development, some of which are already on the market, using a combination of video cameras and LiDAR sensors to autonomously get from point A to point B with little to no driver intervention. 
These technologies help to monitor driving conditions, plan routes and maneuvers, and execute a range of driving functions without relying on the driver’s input. To put it in layman's terms, self-driving tech helps cars scan their environment to continuously create maps to guide autonomous driving. 
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) delineates six levels of autonomous vehicles (AVS): 
  • Level 0: No automation. The driver must be in control of the vehicle at all times. 
  • Level 1: Driver assistance. Offers drivers some assistance tech that can help perform driving tasks like steering, braking, and accelerating, but only one at a time, while the driver remains in control of all other functions. 
  • Level 2: Partial automation. Can operate two or more driver-assistance functions simultaneously, though the driver must still be fully engaged.  
  • Level 3: Conditional automation. Under certain conditions, the car is able to drive itself, but if those conditions are not met, or go away, the driver must be prepared to retake control. (Volvo’s Ride Pilot is a Level 3 system).
  • Level 4: High automation. Under certain conditions, the vehicle is able to drive itself without the need for human intervention. 
  • Level 5: Full automation. The car has no need for human intervention and is able to fully drive itself no matter the conditions. 
Level 5 self-driving automotive technology is an aspiration that automakers are still years away from realizing. Even if we are able to build fully automated vehicles in the near future, the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
warns that the technology might not be effective in terms of collision prevention on US roads and highways. 
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Volvo’s current self-driving technology 

While Volvo is still developing and testing its Ride Pilot automated driving technology, the automaker currently offers a wide range of sophisticated driver-assistance tech to help owners enjoy the experience of driving their Volvo models. 
Volvo offers the following driver-assistance technologies: 
  • Collision avoidance:Warns drivers of potential collisions via audible, visible, and brake pulse warnings if they are veering too close to another vehicle or stationary object. Can trigger automatic braking if a collision is imminent. 
  • Lane-keeping aid:Helps drivers stay in their lane by gently steering the car when it veers. If veering is sustained, the steering wheel will vibrate to alert the driver.
  • Run-off road mitigation:Prevents drivers from accidentally driving off the road. Similar to lane-keeping aid, run-off road mitigation can override steering control and gently guide the vehicle back into the appropriate lane. Can also trigger automatic braking.
  • Cross-traffic alert with auto brake:Warns drivers of approaching cars while reversing. Can trigger auto brake if a collision is imminent. 
  • Blind Spot Information System (BLIS):Alerts drivers when another vehicle enters their blind spot by triggering a light signal on either their left or right door mirror depending on the location of the approaching vehicle. 
  • Surround-view camera:Offers a 360-degree bird’s eye view of the vehicle to assist in parking. 
  • Connected safety: Connects drivers with real-time road condition information through a cloud-based communications network. 

How to find the most affordable Volvo insurance

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