Volvo Group and chipmaker Nvidia have partnered to develop self-driving vehicles for industries that include public and transport, construction, mining, and forestry.

Volvo will use Nvidia Drive end-to-end autonomous driving platform to train, test and deploy self-driving AI vehicles.

Under the agreement, the partners will co-locate their engineering teams in Gothenburg and Silicon Valley.

Working together, the companies will build on the DRIVE AGX Pegasus platform for in-vehicle AI computing. They will also use the full DRIVE AV software stack for 360° sensor processing, map localisation, perception and path planning.

As part of the cooperation, they will further test and validate these systems using the Nvidia Drive hardware-in-the-loop simulation platform.

Volvo Group CEO Martin Lundstedt said: “Partnership is the new leadership. If we are to succeed in the future with the speed, quality and safety, and to gain benefits of autonomous driving, we need to partner up with the best guys. In this world of unknowns, you need a partnership built on trust.”

Volvo noted that the collaboration will help the company develop a self-driving system that can be deployed for commercial purposes following completion of successful trials.

Volvo Trucks autonomous solutions director Sasko Cuklev told Reuters that seven Volvo FH16 trucks will transport limestone for Norway-based Broennoey Kalk from a mine to an adjacent port.

At the company’s annual general meeting in Gothenburg, Cuklev said: “This coming winter, Volvo Trucks’ autonomous mining solution will be in operation and we will get paid per transported tonne.”

Tesla, Ford, Daimler and many car companies are partnering with AI technology companies to deliver an autonomous vehicle that can serve mass market.