Uber’s Self Driving Cars Start to pick up Riders in San Francisco
The ride-hailing company announced on Thursday that it had resumed its self-driving car pilot program in the city, with a fleet of Volvo XC90 SUVs that are equipped with sensors and cameras to help them navigate the city’s streets.
The cars will still have a safety driver behind the wheel for now, but Uber says it plans to make them fully autonomous in the future.
The company’s return to San Francisco comes after a two-year hiatus. Uber’s self-driving car program was suspended in 2018 after one of its cars was involved in a fatal crash in Arizona.
Since then, Uber has worked to improve its self-driving technology and safety protocols. The company says its self-driving cars have now logged over 1 million miles on public roads.
Uber’s self-driving car pilot program in San Francisco will be limited to a small number of riders at first. The company says it will gradually expand the program as it continues to test its technology.
The launch of Uber’s self-driving car pilot program in San Francisco is a sign that the company is confident in its technology and safety protocols. It is also a sign that the self-driving car industry is slowly starting to come back to life after a few years of setbacks.
It remains to be seen how successful Uber’s self-driving car pilot program will be in San Francisco. However, the company’s return to the city is a significant milestone for the self-driving car industry.