Volvo is making some notable advancements in the automotive industry, at least in Sweden. The automaker was recently given permission by the Swedish Transportation Agency (Transportstyrelsen) to test their self-driving vehicles on public roads.

According to reports by DI Digital on Friday, government documents have granted Volvo permission to operate self-driving vehicles on public roads in the Gothenburg area. This comes with a few restrictions, however. The vehicles may not exceed 60 kph (37 mph), a human driver has to be present with their hands on the steering wheel at all times and said drivers must undergo specific training by Volvo before they can operate the autonomous vehicle.

The automaker has been sending self-driving prototypes to Gothenburg since December. Until now, they could only be operated on designated roads that stretched to approximately 31 miles. The data and documentation generated from these tests are the primary factors in Transportstyrelsen's change of heart.

Volvo's end goal is to launch their first self-driving car by 2021. It'll be the XC90 SUV, which will offer Level 4 self-driving technology. Before you know it, the roads could be littered with vehicles akin to the 360c series of autonomous electric cars.