The Swedish automaker has always been known for its innovative safety technologies that have shaped the safety sector of this industry for many decades. Recently, Volvo has taken 2 important steps to continue in that direction.
The first comes in the form of a top speed limiter of 112 mph (180 kph), as part of their goal to eliminate road deaths in Volvos. For obvious reasons, it’s hard for the general public to achieve these types of speeds, though the decision doesn’t come without criticism. Some have questioned whether the Germans would approve, as the Autobahn is mostly unrestrictive. To this, the President and CEO, Håkan Samuelsson, said, “I think Volvo customers in Germany will appreciate that we’re doing something about safety.”
Next is the automaker’s alliance with Luminar, a Silicon Valley-based lidar producer. With this, the automaker plans to roll out its “Highway Pilot” in order to achieve full autonomous highway driving. It is expected to debut on the next generation, SPA2 architecture, starting with the next-gen XC90, launching in 2022.
The fun doesn’t stop there. Volvo’s CEO told Autoblog that the manufacturer is working on technology to measure the attentiveness of the drivers, including effects of drowsiness and intoxication, as well as setting speed limits in certain zones. For example, smart speed controls and geofencing could limit the vehicle’s speed in zones arounds schools, hospitals, etc. It’s obvious that one of the industry’s most revolutionary leaders is continuing to live up to its name, regardless of whether some disagree with it. Hopefully other auto manufacturers catch on and reduce automotive deaths. Stay safe out there!
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