Uber's Pittsburgh riders can summon self-driving Volvos

An Uber driver sits in his car near San Francisco International Airport on July 15, 2015. SAN FRANCISCO - Uber customers in downtown Pittsburgh will later this month begin hopping into vehicles that will drive themselves to their destination. The ride-hailing giant, which has been valued at more than 60 billion, announced Tuesday that it was partnering with Swedish automaker Volvo on a 300-million joint project to develop self-driving vehicles. Uber has been quietly testing a handful of tech-laden Volvo SUVs in the Pennsylvania city, which is headquarters for the tech company's nascent autonomous car research facility. Many of its staffers are former robotics experts from nearby Carnegie Mellon University, a longtime self-driving car tech hotbed.