Volvo just announced that it will be rolling out an over-the-air update for its electric cars worldwide, later this week. This new update is bound to offer customers more range and a host of other improvements, as per the announcement.
This will be Volvo’s first over-the-air update and it marks a premiere for the Swedish car maker and a promise for its customers. It’s a further demonstration of their intentions over the long run and a sign that times are truly changing, following the successful listing of the brand at the Stockholm stock exchange.
The update will be applied to owners of the all-electric XC40 Recharge model as well as the 2022 XC60, 2022 XC60 Recharge and the 2022 XC60 Polestar Engineered models that come with Google’s in-car multimedia system. This over-the-air update will take the software inside the Volvo cars eligible for it to version 1.7 and that brings not just an extended range but also some more interesting features.
Among them you’ll find bug fixes, a new software for the infotainment system and Sirius XM radio. As for the main reason to upgrade, the extended range, Volvo claims it’s possible because the way the electric motors work has been slightly improved. However, the Swedish car maker stopped short of actually saying a number of any sort as to exactly how much range the cars will get. Nevertheless, for the owners and drivers of these cars, any improvement will surely be welcome.
Volvo’s efforts in the electric car space will be ramped up in the future. The company announced, back in March, that it plans to become an all-electric brand by 2030. Up until then, plans are to slowly phase out internal combustion engines and start betting big on electrified alternatives. Volvo claims that this decision was behind the successful IPO that took place last week, raising the value of the company from $18 billion to nearly $23 billion this week.
