Uber to Buy 24,000 Autonomous Volvos

Uber has inked a deal with Volvo that will see the automaker manufacture up to 24,000 XC90 sport utility vehicles that will be equipped with Uber’s self-driving sensor and software package.

Uber will purchase the vehicles from Volvo, which will begin delivering them in 2019. The new agreement builds on the two companies’ prior partnership, signed last year, to jointly invest $300 million in developing and testing self-driving cars, Business Insider reported.

The vehicles from Volvo will form the start of Uber’s driverless taxi fleet, and the purchase marks an important step in its self-driving ambitions.

The ride-hailing company has invested heavily in developing its own self-driving technology.

However, Uber’s self-driving project has been plagued by the notorious lawsuit leveled against it by Waymo, which claims a former employee who joined Uber stole documents related to its self-driving technology.

The purchase from Volvo demonstrates the company’s intent to monetize its self-driving technology regardless of the lawsuit, which is set to go to court later this year.

For context, Daimler also signed an agreement with Uber last year to eventually connect its self-driving cars to Uber’s ride-hailing network, although it’s not clear how many vehicles Daimler will provide or when.