In an interview with Bloomberg, CEO Travis Kalanick said Uber is ready to add self-driving cars to its fleet of active drivers in Pittsburgh this month. Riders will be able to request a self-driving Volvo XC90 (with a human in the driver’s seat to supervise). These test rides will be free for the time being. Here’s how Kalanick described the roll out to Bloomberg:
In Pittsburgh, customers will request cars the normal way, via Uber’s app, and will be paired with a driverless car at random. Trips will be free for the time being, rather than the standard local rate of $1.30 per mile.
Uber’s Pittsburgh fleet, which will be supervised by humans in the driver’s seat for the time being, consists of specially modified Volvo XC90 sport-utility vehicles outfitted with dozens of sensors that use cameras, lasers, radar, and GPS receivers.