Uber bought 100 Volvo XC90s that it hopes to retrofit with self-driving technology and have driving down the streets of Pittsburgh by the end of this year. While it’s probable that Uber bought the Volvos at a discount, the 2017 XC90s start at $45,750. And that is without all the pricey self-driving technologies added on
If initial efforts work, Uber will continue to buy cars and retrofit them with its own self-driving technology as the company ramps up its fleet of driverless cars. Whether it’s from Volvo or another automaker, Uber will likely have to buy, maintain and insure its own cars.
Currently self driving trips are limited to a well-defined area where Uber drivers and technicians have been testing vehicles for nearly 18 months. Only a handful of the self-driving vehicles are available, so not everyone who wants one will get one — or the free ride.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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