Volvo has introduced that it has accomplished multiple million over-the-air software program updates globally. This eleventh OTA from Volvo coated 350,000 automobiles worldwide and was its largest replace ever. Within the US, it permits house owners to problem instructions to their vehicles utilizing their Google Assistant–enabled gadgets, so now they will say “Heat the automotive to 74 levels” on their cellphone and climb into a snug automotive when it’s chilly outdoors a couple of minutes later.
They’ll additionally examine their battery standing or gasoline stage, examine on the charging standing of their automotive, and both begin or finish a charging session. They’ll even say issues like, “Hey, Google, what’s included on this replace?” Volvo says it is going to add Google Assistant to vehicles in different markets within the close to future and that the variety of out there instructions will proceed to develop.
Google Assistant can now be used to pre-warm or pre-cool your Volvo EV. Picture courtesy of Volvo Automobiles.
In different markets, this newest replace expands on Volvo’s Care Key expertise, bringing built-in connectivity to tens of hundreds of shoppers whereas additionally fixing a number of software program bugs and making quite a lot of stability enhancements to the Care Key system it launched in 2021. It permits house owners to restrict the utmost velocity on the automotive under the built-in restrict. It’s supposed to offer house owners peace of thoughts after they mortgage the automotive to others or have a much less skilled driver on the wheel.
One other new characteristic is an effective instance of how Volvo makes use of buyer suggestions to enhance its vehicles. Some clients requested the corporate to make it simpler to take away a paired system from the infotainment system. This newest software program replace provides a button to do exactly that.
Picture courtesy of Volvo Automobiles.
“Over the air updates are a key expertise that assist us ship on our ambition to make our vehicles repeatedly higher. In addition they cement our place as an trade chief on the subject of updating automotive software program remotely. Updates over the air additionally imply you don’t have to go to a workshop anymore to get the newest software program, which we predict is fairly handy,” Volvo says in a press launch.
This replace applies to automobiles in 68 markets — 22 greater than on the time of the earlier replace. It provides built-in connectivity in a number of European markets, together with Greece, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Iceland. This enchancment offers clients with seamless connectivity, as their knowledge plan now will get embedded into their automotive’s SIM card.
“Because of over the air updates and our quickly rising in-house software program growth, we will create and deploy new options in addition to improve the client expertise a lot faster than earlier than. The launch of Google Assistant managed actions is an indication of our dedication to offering our clients with a greater automotive each day, including extra comfort and peace of thoughts,” stated Alwin Bakkenes, head of software program engineering at Volvo.
IIHS Prime Security Decide + Awards For Volvo
Yesterday, we reported on the newest crash take a look at outcomes and security awards from the Insurance coverage Institute For Freeway Security (IIHS). They’ve been bashing vehicles with battering rams since 2003 to learn how nicely they defend drivers and passengers in a collision. They’ve additionally developed subtle instrumented dummies to check the consequences these crashes are prone to have on drivers and passengers, together with girls and younger kids.
This yr, IIHS has raised the bar for its crash exams to mirror the truth that automobiles at present are heavier than they have been in 2003 — about one third heavier, actually. The group additionally determined that to qualify for its Prime Security Decide+ award, vehicles should now embody an computerized emergency braking characteristic that acknowledges pedestrians in the dead of night, not simply in daylight. Final yr, practically 101 vehicles certified for IIHS Prime Security Decide standing. This yr, solely 48 did, and simply 28 certified for the Prime Security Decide+ award. The Volvo XC90 and XC90 Recharge each gained Prime Security Decide+ standing.
That gave Volvo one thing to crow about. In a press launch, it stated that as a part of Volvo Automobiles’ imaginative and prescient that nobody needs to be critically injured or killed in a brand new Volvo automotive, the corporate has put security on the middle of every little thing it does. “The Volvo XC90 continues to show, yr after yr, that it’s among the many most secure automobiles on the highway,” stated Åsa Haglund, head of Volvo Automobiles Security Middle.
The corporate famous that the testing protocols have been revised this yr and that the brand new commonplace will increase the quantity of vitality within the aspect collision take a look at by 82 %. 40 % is attributable to the heavier battering ram, which now weighs 4,300 kilos, as an alternative of the 3000 pound ram utilized in prior years. That added 40 % extra vitality to every collision. As well as, the velocity of the ram has been elevated from 31 mph to 37 mph. That change provides one other 42 % extra vitality to the equation.
Beneath the brand new testing protocol, a automotive wants to realize a “good” score within the aspect impression take a look at to qualify for the Prime Security Decide Plus score. Lesser vehicles want solely garner an “acceptable” score to obtain the usual score of Prime Security Decide. Each the XC90 hybrid and the XC90 Recharge plug-in hybrid earned a Prime Security Decide+ award. Each vehicles additionally handed the brand new nighttime pedestrian security provision added to the testing protocols this yr.
Along with its award-winning security, the XC90 Recharge presents as much as 35 miles of all-electric driving in Pure mode. Volvo Automobiles has made sustainability as vital as security, although, and has introduced plans to promote solely totally electrical automobiles by 2030. It goals to turn out to be carbon impartial by 2040, the corporate says.
The Takeaway
Volvo has constructed its fame on security. Its vehicles from the ’60s and ’70s had all of the grace and magnificence of a transport container (aside from the scrumptious P1800) however did an excellent job of defending the individuals inside within the occasion of an accident. Henry Ford II stated security doesn’t promote, however Volvo has confirmed again and again that persons are keen to pay premium costs for premium cars that make security a high precedence. It doesn’t harm that the corporate’s present choices are pleasing to the attention with svelte styling that’s completely up to date.
Some well-known fashions such because the Tesla Mannequin 3 didn’t make the minimize this yr. Though, the Mannequin Y was a kind of 28 fashions that earned the coveted Plus score. IIHS says it toughened it procedures as a result of producers had come to date in assembly the outdated commonplace that nearly each automotive examined bought not less than a Prime Security Decide score. IIHS hopes the adjustments it instituted this yr will spur the trade to design and construct even higher, safer vehicles sooner or later.
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