Uber plans to buy 24,000 autonomous Volvo SUVs in self-driving push

'It only becomes a commercial business when you can remove the vehicle operator from the equation,' says ride-hailing firm battling Lyft and Waymo

Uber is planning to buy up to 24,000 self-driving cars from Volvo, the company has announced, moving from its current model of ride-sharing using freelance drivers to owning a fleet of autonomous cars.

Following the three-year self-driving partnership with Volvo, the non-binding framework could give Uber a boost in its ambitions to perfect self-driving systems to replace human drivers, following setbacks and lawsuits over trade secrets and talent.