Self-driving Volvos a step closer with new Waymo partnership

Volvo has taken its next step towards producing a fully autonomous car by joining forces with Waymo. The former Google self-driving project will become the Volvo Car Group’s Level 4 partner.

Level 4 autonomy can be described as “mind off” driving, rather than just “hands off” and means that the car is in complete control. Cars with Level 4 technology are currently restricted to lower speeds and limited geographic areas, so initially the plan is to develop an all-electric self-driving ride share platform for urban use. Soon Volvo robotaxis could whisk you home from a late-night bar crawl with no forced conversation or questionable music choices from the driver.

The Waymo partnership is across the whole Volvo Group so could include Polestar and Lynk & Co models in the future. With Volvo already implementing a 112 mph speed limit on new cars, removing the driver from the picture now seems to be the company’s ultimate objective to make its cars the safest on the planet.