Microsoft has brokered a deal with automaker Volvo to co-develop a driverless vehicle, according to a new report — putting it in competition with Apple’s rumored “Project Titan” Apple Car.
“We are exploring a number of different collaborations,” says Björn Annwall, senior vice president of marketing, sales and services at Volvo. In addition to driverless vehicles, this may also include collaborating on an “interactive shopping experience” using Microsoft’s HoloLens headset.
“Technology will transform [life] when it comes to autonomous cars, connectivity and the car buying process,” Annwall noted. “We believe this will happen. It’s [natural that] the tech and automotive industry comes closer to explore this together.”
This week, Volvo unveiled its Concept 26 driverless car interior, which Björn Annwall calls, “a concept of what we view the interior will look like quite soon, as we have made the design compatible with our cars.”
While there has been no confirmation that Apple is working on an electric car project, rumors have continued to gain momentum. Tim Cook reportedly recently gave permission to triple the size of an already 600-person dedicated car team, claims the Wall Street Journal, with plans said to call for the Apple Car to hit roads by 2020.
Whether Microsoft will be joining it, we’ll have to wait and see.
