DOHA: Domasco, authorised distributor for Volvo cars in Qatar, has announced Volvo Cars, the Swedish premium car maker, and Uber, the world’s leading ride-sharing company, are joining forces to develop autonomous driving cars.
The two companies have signed an agreement to establish a joint project that will develop new base vehicles that will be able to incorporate the latest developments in Autonomous Driving technologies, up to and including fully autonomous driverless cars. The base vehicles will be manufactured by Volvo Cars and then purchased from Volvo by Uber. The collaboration will involve Uber adding its own self-developed autonomous driving systems to the Volvo base vehicle. Volvo Cars and Uber are contributing a combined $300m to the project.
Faisal Sharif, Managing Director of Domasco, said: “Volvo is a world leader in the development of active safety and autonomous drive technology and possesses unrivaled safety credibility. We are very proud to be their partner in Qatar.”
Andrew Parrott, Head of Sales and Marketing for Volvo – Domasco, said: “The Volvo-Uber project marks a significant step in the automotive business underlining the way in which the global automotive industry is evolving in response to the advent of new technologies. Autonomous driving will change the way our customers look at driving. Imagine being able to switch your car to autopilot, just like a plane, and then simply sit back and relax. Volvo and Uber are in the process of making this come true. We are sure that future Volvo customers will enjoy the ride.”
The Peninsula
