Uber Will Be Bringing Self-Driving In Dallas

Uber just announced a third-generation version of its self-driving car, developed in partnership with Volvo. The new XC90 SUV will be built to fit Uber’s self-driving technology at the factory level, instead of needing to be retrofitted like previous versions of the car. Uber will start testing the new car on public roads in 2020.

This time around, Uber and Volvo are building more redundancy into the vehicle. The car will still have a steering wheel and pedals, but Uber says it’s been designed to ultimately operate without a human behind the wheel. With that in mind, the companies built multiple redundant backup systems into the vehicle, specifically around steering, braking, and battery power. “If any of the primary systems should fail for some reason, the back-up system is designed to immediately act to bring the car to a stop,” Uber says.