The launch of self-driving pilot in San Francisco with Volvo Cars marks the next phase in a deepening alliance between Volvo and Uber after the two companies signed an agreement in August 2016 to establish a jointly owned project to build base vehicles that can be used to develop fully autonomous driverless cars. These cars were initially tested in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The latest cars to be used in San Francisco including the premium XC90 sport utility vehicle have been built by Volvo and sold to Uber, after which Uber's own self-driving hardware and software package is added, most visibly in the roof-mounted control apparatus. These cars will drive around the streets of San Francisco autonomously, but as part of the pilot programme they will at all times have an Uber technician on board to supervise the car's operation.

"The promise of self-driving ride sharing is becoming a reality. Volvo is proud to be at the forefront of the latest developments in the automotive world alongside our partners at Uber," said Marten Levenstam, Vice President Product Planning at Volvo Cars.