Jim Rowan, former CEO of Volvo: "It will be very difficult to implement autonomous driving in urban environments, where there are construction sites that change daily, schools, scooters, and children."

The automotive industry is at one of the greatest crossroads in its history. That moment when only the strongest survive , and not necessarily because they're bigger: decarbonization, electric cars, batteries , hydrogen fuel cells , synthetic fuels, tariffs, layoffs , new players like China ... And the icing on the cake: autonomous driving.

A problem that some gurus like Elon Musk predicted would soon be resolved, and which, to this day, continues to give automotive executives headaches . This was the case for Jim Rowan during his time at the helm of Volvo Cars . The former CEO wasn't entirely sure about it, although he didn't point to technical flaws: "The problems will be changing legislation and regulations around the world. Therefore, I think autonomous driving will arrive much later than people think," Rowan predicted in an interview with Time magazine.

But is it just a regulatory issue , or is there more to it? “It will be very difficult to do so in urban environments, where there are constantly changing construction sites, schools, bicycles, scooters, and children running around,” Rowan confessed. The point is that “technically, we will be able to drive autonomously,” but since the system is not free of errors , the legislation will be stricter depending on the environment: “I think it will be limited for the foreseeable future,” Rowan concluded.

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On the other hand, the former Volvo CEO was clear about something else regarding autonomous driving: “I don't agree with the idea of ​​five levels of autonomy . I agree with two levels : hands on the wheel, eyes on the road; and hands off the wheel, eyes on the screen.” And he elaborated on his idea of ​​a still-distant future of autonomous driving : “I think the first part, hands on the wheel, will be around for a long time before we adopt the hands-free, eyes-free system .”

And speaking of the future, Jim Rowan also spoke in the interview about his own. Listen to his words: “This is probably my last job before I retire. I have the opportunity to give everything I have to this company, with an industry undergoing a transformation, which could be very beneficial from a carbon neutrality perspective if we take it seriously. I don't feel it as pressure, but as an opportunity.” It's clear that the former Volvo CEO wanted to make his mark , but reality is stubborn, and he was only able to stay at the helm for three years .