In a surprise announcement, Uber is claiming that its self-driving cars will begin operation in just a few weeks.
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick told Bloomberg Businessweekthat the company is just about ready to roll out its first driverless, autonomous cars later this month in Pittsburgh.
The cars will be a heavily modified Volvo XC90 SUVs. The cars will still have drivers supervising the rides. No word on whether you'll have to rate those drivers.
Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the interview, Kalanick also revealed that Uber has acquired Otto, a company that was working on autonomous big-rig trucks. The company was founded earlier in 2016 by two former Google employees who had helped develop the autonomous cars and Google Maps.
Otto confirmed the acquisition in a Medium post.
"By joining forces with Uber we can fast forward to the future. Together, Otto and Uber can build the backbone of the rapidly-approaching self-driving freight system," Lior Ron, co-founder of Otto, wrote in the post.
Otto is focused on making kits that can be used on existing trucks, turning them into autonomous vehicles. The trucks can drive autonomously on the highway, but still need a person behind the wheel to monitor the operation and drive the truck on streets.
Driverless cars are still generally thought to be a few years away. Ford recently said it would be offering fully autonomous vehicles by 2021.
Uber's introduction of autonomous cars in Pittsburgh follows recent tests that indicated the company might be preparing to try the service out for customers. In May, Uber released an image of one of its self-driving cars.
An Uber self-driving car that the company teased in May.Credit: uberUber's involvement with Volvo is also new. The two companies struck a $300 million deal that will bring autonomous technology to the XC90 sports utility vehicle.
Volvo had previously said it would have 100 self-driving XC90s on the roads of Sweden by 2017. The car is generally considered one of the safest on the road.
As part of the deal, Uber will buy Volvo cars and add the necessary technology to make them autonomous.
Ride-hailing companies and car manufacturers have been steadily choosing partners, as autonomous driving technology is expected to drastically change the business of personal transportation.
Uber has already signed up Toyota and has reportedly held talks with Fiat Chrysler -- and is now working with Volvo. Lyft's biggest partner is General Motors, with that partnership saying its own autonomous cars will be on the road within the next year.
TopicsSelf-Driving CarsUberCars
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