Swedish families help Volvo Cars develop autonomous drive cars

Starting today, premium automaker Volvo Cars begins developing its autonomous driving vehicles with
help from Swedish families, who will test its cars on the public roads of Gothenburg and share their
impressions with Volvo Cars engineers.
 
The first two families, the Hains and the Simonovskis from the Gothenburg area, have now received the
Volvo XC90 premium SUVs with which they will support the Drive Me project. Three more families will
follow early next year and over the next four years, up to 100 people will be involved in Drive Me.
 
Both families will contribute to Drive Me with invaluable data by allowing engineers at the company to
monitor their everyday use and interaction with the car, as they drive to work, bring the kids to school or
go shopping for groceries.
 
Volvo Cars plans to have a fully autonomous car commercially available by 2021 and the data derived
from Drive Me will play a crucial role in the development of these autonomous cars.
“It feels great to be a part of this project,” said Alex Hain, 45 years old. “We get the chance to be part of
developing technology that will one day save lives.”
 
Drive Me will involve real customers testing the different stages of driver assisted and eventually fully
autonomous technology.
 
“Drive Me is an important research project for Volvo Cars,” said Henrik Green, Senior Vice President for
the company’s R&D department. “We expect to learn a lot from engaging these families and will use their
experiences to shape the development of our autonomous driving technology, so that by 2021 we can
offer our customers a fully autonomous car.”
 
The Hains and the Simonovskis have received Volvo XC90s fitted with Volvo’s latest driver assistance
technology as well as an array of cameras and sensors to monitor their behavior and provide the car with
information on its surroundings.
 
During these first stages, the families will keep their hands on the steering wheel and supervise the
driving whenever they use their cars. But, over time, all participants in the Drive Me project will gradually
be introduced to more advanced assisted driving cars, after receiving special training.
 
Even then, testing these more advanced cars will initially take place in controlled environments with

supervision from a Volvo Cars safety expert. No technology will ever be introduced if there is any
question over its safety.
 
This means Volvo Cars continues to develop autonomous cars with the same care and thoroughness that
has helped it establish its position as the builder of some of the world’s safest cars.
 
The Hain family comprises Alex and Paula (45 years old), and their daughters Filippa (17) and Smilla
(14). The Hains were the first people chosen to take part in Drive Me earlier this year.
 
They are now joined by Sasko Simonovski (44) and his wife Anna (41), and their children Elin (10) and
Villiam (8). Additional families will be added going forward as the project progresses.