According to Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson, Sweden’s economic and social policies are allowing for the rapid introduction of autonomous driving technologies.
The so called ‘Nordic Model’ refers to the public sector, private sector and academia and can and should be taken as a template for other countries looking to implement autonomous driving within their own boarders.
Mr Samuelsson will share his views on autonomous driving (AD) at a seminar in Stockholm on March 10, which will bring together Volvo, Autoliv, Chalmers as well as senior Swedish politicians.
“Autonomous driving has the potential to revolutionise car safety. This technology saves lives. AD also improves traffic flows, enhances air quality and saves people time. This technology should be introduced as quickly as possible. The best way to do this is to get everyone involved working together at the earliest opportunity,” stated the Swedish automaker’s CEO.
Volvo is also encouraging all US and European car manufacturers to work more constructively together and avoid patchwork regulations, technological duplication and needless expenses.
“AD is not just about car technology. We need the right roads, the right rules and the right laws. We also need to ensure AD technologies are harmonised as much as possible to avoid unnecessary development costs, so that an AD car in the US is as safe and as legal as an AD car in Europe or Asia.”
The issues in Europe and the US are mostly about regulations, since there are 28 members in the EU, all with individual responsibilities, much like in the US where there are 50 states. Sweden, on the other hand, has enjoyed a long tradition of functioning relationships between the public and private sectors – which in turn enhanced productivity, avoided industrial disputes and ultimately led to the quick and effective introduction of rules, regulations and infrastructure to support these new autonomous technologies.
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