Volvo Cars and DiDi Autonomous Driving have signed a strategic collaboration agreement on autonomous vehicles for DiDi’s self-driving test fleet.
As per the agreement, Volvo Cars will provide DiDi, the self-driving technology arm of Didi Chuxing, with XC90 cars equipped with necessary backup systems for steering and braking. Besides, it will collaborate with DiDi Autonomous Driving to integrate the additional software and hardware required to make it fully ready for autonomous drive.
The XC90 cars will be the first to integrate DiDi Gemini, DiDi Autonomous Driving’s new self-driving hardware platform, and are intended to be deployed for ride-hailing in DiDi’s network in the future.
The agreement reinforces Volvo Cars’ position as a car provider and the partner of choice for self-driving fleets, building on its reputation as a global leader in automotive safety.
The built-in backup systems and safety features on the XC90s, combined with DiDi Autonomous Driving’s advanced self-driving system, will eventually allow the cars to operate without safety drivers in robotaxi services.
Building on today’s agreement, Volvo Cars and DiDi Autonomous Driving look to build a long-term partnership as DiDi continues to expand its autonomous test fleets across China and the US and scales up its commercial robotaxi operations.
In 2020, Volvo Cars provided DiDi with Volvo XC60s for use in Shanghai’s first pilot robotaxi programme. People in certain areas of Shanghai could book trips by robotaxi in the DiDi app and be driven autonomously while a safety driver and engineer monitored the cars.
Håkan Samuelsson, Chief Executive, Volvo Cars, said, “This strategic collaboration with DiDi Autonomous Driving is further validation of our ambition to be the partner of choice to the world’s leading ride-hailing companies. Combining DiDi’s expanding robotaxi programme with our safe cars creates a great match to build trust among consumers for autonomous ride-hailing.”
Bob Zhang, CEO of DiDi Autonomous Driving and CTO, Didi Chuxing, said, “DiDi Gemini, our new self-driving hardware platform, incorporates critical hardware improvements from our test passenger service operations in Shanghai. With Volvo Cars’ leadership in safety, we look forward to achieving new milestones towards future autonomous transport services.”