Volvo Cars roll out the OTA software updates capability in Malaysia and other markets.
Ever since Tesla entered the market, carmakers have been scrambling to make their products work more like smartphones. One aspect that has been tough to implement worldwide is OTA software update capabilities. Today, Volvo Cars has figured out how to make that possible on their latest models in 34 markets. Thankfully, Malaysia is on the list!
OTA, or ‘over-the-air’, software updates help keep cars looking and feeling new for years. It can be something nice-to-have, like the latest Android 11 update for the infotainment, to better energy system management.
Car companies can also potentially save money on recalls if the fix can be applied via a software update.
This updating feature is now available on the latest XC90, S60 and V60 models sold in a number of markets, including Malaysia.
Here’s the press release with more.
PRESS RELEASE
All new Volvo car models are now available with over-the-air (OTA) software update capability, a key technology to deliver on Volvo Cars’ ambition of making customers’ cars continuously better and cementing Volvo Cars’ position as one of the industry leaders when it comes to updating car software over the air.
The OTA capability now comes to the latest XC90, S60 and V60 models, and follows the technology’s initial introduction on Volvo Cars’ fully electric cars. This means that the company’s full portfolio can now receive an update of the car’s complete operating system over the air.
Volvo owners will see their infotainment upgraded to a newer version of Android Automotive OS, Android™ 11 with the OTA update going out this week. They’ll also get access to new app categories on Google Play, including navigation, charging and parking now available with video streaming expected to be added later in the year.
Furthermore, the latest OTA update brings feature improvements, ranging from better energy management through improved climate timers and updates to mobile app functionality and in-car applications.
The energy management improvements help to maintain appropriate battery temperatures during both cold and warm days, boosting driving range. Charging has also improved, for example by pre-heating of the battery which lowers charging time. The Volvo Cars app also receives more frequent updates from the car on the charging percentage during an ongoing session.
The latest OTA update is the company’s eighth complete car update and will reach more than 190,000 Volvo cars across the globe.
This week’s release also marks the debut of OTA updates in several new markets around the globe, including India, Taiwan and New Zealand, after expansion to markets such as South Korea, Australia, Thailand and Singapore earlier in the year, taking the total volume of cars updated higher.
Through in-house development of software and OTA updates, Volvo Cars continuously adds new features and improves existing functionalities.
Since the beginning of last year, Volvo Cars has been offering OTA updates on a regular basis in the majority of Volvo markets, and the company expects the volume of cars covered by such updates to grow with every new update.
The company also reveals today that it will offer its infotainment system with Google apps and services such as Google Assistant and Google Maps built-in across all new models, continuing the rollout of one of the best in-car infotainment platforms on the market.
Volvo Cars’ infotainment system is jointly developed with Google and brings Volvo customers a user-friendly interface, unparalleled connectivity and access to well-known apps and services.
Notes to editors
- Availability of the features and services mentioned above may differ between markets.
- Markets where Volvo Cars now introduces OTA updates include Australia, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
- OTA capability and Google services are not available on all variants of the Volvo XC40 model
- Google, Android, Google Play and Google Maps are trademarks of Google LLC.
