Volvo has plans to increase the capabilities of its autonomous vehicles. The Swedish company is currently at the forefront of creating self-driving cars and has been one of the primary researchers on the EU's SARTRE road-train project, where cars are grouped together on the motorway by destination, and controlled from a lead vehicle.
So far, we've seen cars that can drive themselves and park themselves, and now Volvo has plans to create cars that can head off to the nearest petrol station for a fill-up.
It’s a development of another Volvo system which would allow an autonomous car to collect packages for you. In that scenario, a delivery person would be sent a code by text that would allow them one-time access to the car’s boot, into which they can drop your package and then the car will head home with it on board.
The fuelling system is similar only this time the text code gives one-time access to the fuel flap and filler for a feeling attendant, who tops up the tank for you, before the car heads robotically off again to come and find you. Payment for the fuel is electronic and in advance.
There's no official confirmation of the fuelling system from Volvo, beyond a tacit 'maybe' but it faces up some interesting hurdles and opportunities. In terms of opportunities, there's an obvious customer convenience benefit but it goes further – the 'Tesco Effect' has seen vast numbers of filling stations in Ireland close because of the difficulty of making a profit on selling fuel. That has left drivers faced with increasing queues at the filling stations left, something that the Volvo system could circumvent.
Of course, the tricky issue could be finding a petrol station with an actual, physical attendant on hand to pump the fuel – no matter how clever the car’s computer is it can’t reach out and grab the handle. Added to which will be legal issues over the potential for damage and even fire. But it’s an interesting extra dimension to the robot car debate.
“Vehicles which act on their own initiative might sound like science fiction, however, a lot of technology has already been designed, and developments are moving very rapidly” says Pether Wallin, CEO of AstaZero, Volvo’s autonomous car test facility.
