Volvo + DiDi

Volvo Cars and DiDi Autonomous Driving, the self-driving technology arm of Didi Chuxing, the world’s leading mobility technology platform, have signed a strategic collaboration agreement on autonomous vehicles for DiDi’s self-driving test fleet.

Volvo Cars will provide DiDi with XC90 SUVs equipped with necessary backup systems for functions such as steering and braking and collaborate with DiDi Autonomous Driving to integrate the additional software and hardware required to make the vehicles fully ready for autonomous driving.

The XC90s 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 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. DiDi Autonomous Driving is looking to build a long-term partnership with Volvo as the tech company continues to expand its autonomous test fleets across China and the United States 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 the cars were monitored by a safety driver and engineer.

Volvo Cars’ partner-of-choice ambition comes as ride-hailing firms around the globe seek to expand their fleets with fully autonomous cars in a safe and responsible way. Volvo says its reputation as a global leader in automotive safety is a strong asset as it pursues this ambition.