New Volvo electric SUV to drive autonomously on the highways: Details here

Volvo is developing a new electric SUV that will be the pure electric successor of its flagship XC90 luxury SUV. This upcoming Volvo electric SUV is claimed to be able to drive autonomously on highways, without any human intervention.

The new electric luxury SUV from the Swedish automaker is based on the Volvo Concept Recharge. It will be equipped with Ride Pilot, which is claimed to be the automaker's complete self-driving technology. Volvo says it will first be available in California as a subscription service. The carmaker will introduce this technology and the SUV to other markets at a later stage.

Volvo has been developing autonomous driving technology for quite some time. In fact, Volvo remains at the forefront of developing self-driving technology alongside other carmakers such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW etc. When Tesla launched its semi-autonomous driving assistance software Autopilot, Volvo dubbed that as wannabe self-driving technology.

Speaking about the Ride Pilot, Volvo is still testing this technology in Sweden as it is not ready yet for commercial use. The automaker is gathering data and improving this technology to make it safer for vehicles and users.

The technology relies on one LiDAR sensor, five different radar sensors, eight cameras and sixteen ultrasonic sensors fitted across the electric SUV. The car brand claims that it will constantly improve the system with over-the-air (OTA) updates.

The automaker claims that this technology is based on Zenseact AD software and it is playing a crucial role in setting a new standard in vehicle safety. It also claims that if implemented successfully, this technology will be a significant step towards the journey to zero collisions future. This comes in line with Volvo's dream to create a vehicular ecosystem where no Volvo vehicles will be involved in any road accidents directly or indirectly.