Volvo to test driver-less cars in Gothenburg

Volvo Cars has signed up with transit authorities and the City of Gothenburg to pilot a fleet of cars that drive themselves in 2017. Using cameras, GPS and an assortment of different sensors, the cars collect information about the traffic around them to navigate the fray safely.

CEO Håkan Samuelson took the infrastructure minister for a test spin on Monday to reveal the project to the wider public.

"You might be a good driver, but there will be times when you are not good enough," Infrastructure Minister Catharina Elmsäter-Swärd told the TT news agency.

The project collaborates with The Transit Authority (Trafikverket), The Swedish Transport Agency (Trafikstyrelsen), the City of Gothenburg, and Lindholmen Science Park. The team plans to let 100 cars out on the roads of Sweden's second largest city, with normal citizens as test drivers. 

Volvo Cars wants to be market leaders in driver-less cars. By 2020, there should be no accidents whatsoever for customers who choose a Volvo, the company prophesized.

"We see this not only as a way to make it easier for people but also to make driving safer," CEO Håkan Samuelsson said.