Gothenburg, 5 July 2021 – 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.
