Swedish car company Volvo announced that it will be testing its autonomous vehicles in China with local drivers and on public roads in every day driving conditions.
For this experiment, Volvo will use 100 autonomous cars.
In the coming months, the company will seek legal and regulatory permissions and will also negotiate with Chinese cities which are interested in this proposition.
Volvo says it wants to be the first automakers to introduce autonomous vehicles by 2020.
The Swedish company says that autonomous vehicles will not only reduce accidents, but will also reduce traffic congestions, reduce pollution and will allow drivers to use their time in cars more productively.
Volvo president and chief executive Hkan Samuelsson said:"Autonomous driving can make a significant contribution to road safety.
"The sooner AD cars are on the roads, the sooner lives will start being saved."
"There are multiple benefits to AD cars."
"That is why governments need to put in place the legislation to allow AD cars onto the streets as soon as possible. The car industry cannot do it all by itself. We need governmental help."
According to Volvo, based on independent research autonomous driving has the potential to reduce road accidents significantly - by up to 90%.
Volvo says that it will welcome regulators and automakers in the US and European nations to develop autonomous cars and build the necessary infrastructure.
Image: Volvo to test its autonomous vehicles in China. Photo: Courtesy of Volvo.
