Uber Partners With Volvo, Buys Otto in Autonomous Play

Uber accelerated its autonomous-vehicle ambitions, partnering with Volvo and acquiring self-driving trucks startup Otto. In a news release Thursday, Volvo announced a partnership with Uber to develop base vehicles incorporating autonomous driving technologies, “up to and including fully autonomous driverless cars.” In a blog post, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick revealed the Otto acquisition, which will see Otto co-founder Anthony Levandowski leading the combined company’s self-driving efforts in Pittsburgh, Palo Alto, California, and San Francisco, he said. The initiative will cover personal transportation, delivery and trucking, Kalanick said.