Volvo Cars and Google continue partnership for next generation safe and connected user experience
In Volvo Cars’ next generation of fully electric cars, customers can look forward to a car that gets better every day and offers a simple, serene and seamless Volvo user experience – from getting a car, to being inside it and controlling it on your mobile device.
Volvo Car Group was the first car maker to introduce cars with an infotainment system powered by Android Automotive OS with Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play built-in. It now continues its strategic collaboration with Google to take infotainment and connectivity to the next level.
The next generation of Volvo Cars’ approach to user experience is part of the VolvoCars.OS, an umbrella of the various operating systems in electric Volvos across the car and the cloud, and starts with Android Automotive OS and a new in-car display approach.
Intertwining engineering and design, Volvo Cars and Google are together building a user experience for simplicity to optimise safety. The user experience design is built on a clear split of information for the driver, according to the level of relevance while behind the wheel.
A high-resolution driver information screen gives the driver the most relevant information related to driving, such as speed and battery levels. A heads-up-display helps keep key information in front of the driver without having to glance away.
Future Volvo cars will also come with a large, centralised touch screen that provides rich content, easy-to-see information and responsive interaction. The principle is that everything customers need should always be easily accessible, either by touch or by voice command. No immediate needs or information are buried deep inside menus, many clicks away.
The result is a simple user experience that is consistent, clean, easily scannable and takes a minimalistic and contextual approach. It provides only the right and required information at the right time and ensures that Volvo drivers can focus on driving and remaining safe on the road.
“Our teams have spent a lot of time with Google to further develop and improve our user experience for the next generation of Volvo cars,” said Henrik Green, chief technology officer. “Especially in terms of safety, serenity and simplicity, we have made great strides thanks to a deeper integration of design and technological development. We are convinced that it will allow us to create even better Volvo cars and set a new industry standard.”
Beyond the screens inside the car, Volvo’s next generation of fully electric cars will come with a seamless connection to your mobile device. The next generation of Volvo cars use your phone as a key and the Volvo Cars app will connect you to everything else that comes with a modern life and electric car ownership.
Features such as finding and paying for charging and connecting to your home devices will be included, as well as popular remote features already appreciated today such as pre-heating and -cooling.
As part of Volvo Cars’ recently announced new commercial strategy, its electric cars are available online via volvocars.com. Customers can order from the comfort of their own home or place an online order together with their retailer. Each pure electric Volvo comes with a convenient Care offer including items such as service, warranty, roadside assistance, as well as insurance and home charging options where available.
All electric Volvo cars will receive regular software updates and new functionalities over the air (OTA), ensuring that a Volvo car gets better over time. The company’s move towards in-house software development will increase development speeds and a faster deployment of regular OTA updates.
Notes to editors:
- Described features might be optional and the exact customer offer may vary from one country to another, or not (yet) be available in all markets. Contact your local market representative for more detail.
- Google, Android, Google Play and other marks are trademarks of Google LLC.
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Volvo Car Group in 2020
For the 2020 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 8.5 BSEK (14.3 BSEK in 2019). Revenue over the period amounted to 262.8 BSEK (274.1 BSEK). For the full year of 2020, global sales reached 661,713 cars (705,452), a decline of 6.2 per cent compared to 2019.
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo Cars was founded in 1927. Today, it is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 661,713 cars in 2020 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding since 2010.
As of December 2020, Volvo Cars employed approximately 40,000 (41,500) full-time employees. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for APAC is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu and Daqing (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).
Under its new company purpose, Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This purpose is reflected into a number of business ambitions: for example, by the middle of this decade it aims for half of its global sales to be fully electric cars and to establish five million direct consumer relationships. Volvo Cars is also committed to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.