In every Volvo car, form, function and technical innovation are in perfect harmony. This is especially true for our upcoming fully electric Volvo EX90.
Our Scandinavian design approach is straightforward. This new flagship SUV is designed to fulfil a purpose: to be an elegant, efficient fully electric family car, with a higher standard of safety than any Volvo car before it.
But as our in-house designers and generations of other Scandinavian designers have proved many times before, practicality and safety doesn’t have to come at the price of aesthetics.
One of the most prominent examples is how we’ve integrated the lidar, which comes as standard in the Volvo EX90. Lidar is a remote sensing system that uses a pulsed laser to precisely measure ranges and it can detect, for example, pedestrians up to 250 metres away.
As we work towards introducing unsupervised autonomous driving, lidar is one of our safety cornerstones.
“It was a design challenge to integrate lidar in a way that both looks good and is optimal for its safety applications,” says T. Jon Mayer, our head of exterior design. “It’s the car’s eyes, and while you could have them around the grille area – which would be equivalent to having eyes on your knees – it makes much more sense to have them as high as possible on your head so you can see as much as possible. That is why, together with our engineers, we decided to integrate it in the roofline to maximise its effectiveness.”
Streamlined to improve range
When shaping and forming an electric car’s exterior, that presents an opportunity to use design to increase its efficiency.
A good electric car has a slippery, smooth and streamlined surface – aerodynamic drag is the enemy of efficiency. We’ve designed the Volvo EX90 with the ambition to optimise its driving range, concentrating on cutting drag and wind resistance.
The sleek and rounded front, combined with elements such as flush glazing and door handles, ensures that air flows uninterrupted towards the rear. These are things that affect the so called drag coefficient, used to illustrate the car’s aerodynamic efficiency.
Thanks to these exterior design choices, the Volvo EX90 achieves a drag coefficient of 0.29 – for the uninitiated, that’s considered a very competitive number for a large, 7-seater SUV.
“We’ve taken inspiration from yacht design to outline the Volvo EX90’s beautiful and sleek proportions,” says T. Jon Mayer. “If you look at the front, it’s proud and confident – inspired by a sailboat’s ability to shear through the ocean’s slamming waves. But it’s also rounder overall, which enables the air to flow around the car more efficiently.”
A calm and understated confidence
For many of the design choices on the Volvo EX90, the source of inspiration ties back to our Scandinavian roots.
The long and light days of Scandinavian summers, mirrored by dark and gloomy winters as the seasons change inspired us to include a panoramic roof and lots of glass in the cabin, letting as much light in as possible.
Those winters are not only dark, but cold. When picturing a biting cold outside, it’s easy to imagine a cozy fireplace.
“We’ve put a lot of effort into the illumination inside the EX90, trying to create a warm interior and a somewhat colder expression for the exterior,” says T. Jon Mayer. “It’s also connected to how people in Scandinavia might be perceived. There’s a calm and understated confidence that can read as cold at first – but once you get to know people, you find that they're really warm. That very same confidence is exactly what we’re trying to convey in the expression of our cars.”
The upcoming Volvo EX90 will be revealed on November 9 in Stockholm.
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Volvo Cars in 2021
Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 20.3 BSEK. Revenue in 2021 amounted to 282.0 BSEK, while global sales reached 698,700 cars.
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 to customers in more than 100 countries. Volvo Cars is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, where it is traded under the ticker “VOLCAR B”.
Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This is reflected in its ambition to become a fully electric car maker by 2030 and in its commitment to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
As of December 2021, Volvo Cars employed approximately 41,000 full-time employees. Volvo Cars' head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars' production plants are located in Gothenburg, Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu, Daqing and Taizhou (China). The company also has R&D and design centres in Gothenburg, Camarillo (US) and Shanghai (China).
For further information please contact:
Volvo Cars Media Relations
+46 31-59 65 25
media@volvocars.com
Volvo Cars Investor Relations
John Hernander
+46 31-793 94 00
investors@volvocars.com
If you’ve ever asked a phone or computer “What do you want me to do?” with a tinge of despair in your voice, you know how confusing it can be when communication with a piece of technology breaks down.
Imagine what could happen if such a breakdown happens in a car as you transition between manual, assisted and autonomous driving modes. It’s safe to say that these are situations where uncertainty should be avoided, no matter what.
Adding by subtracting
Today’s cars are loaded with new capabilities, functions and technologies. We want these features to make your life easier and safer, rather than creating more distractions or confusion. That’s why it’s essential that the car gives clear and contextual information.
With that in mind, we’ve made it a top priority to make the transition from manual to assisted driving modes (and in the future, autonomous driving) in our cars effortless and intuitive. The same goes for accessing features via the car’s screens: we want to present what you need in a simplified way.
In the Volvo EX90, our upcoming fully electric flagship SUV, a large centre screen gives you quick access to navigation, media and phone, as well as controls and other common actions. Depending on whether you’re parked or driving, or on a phone call, a special contextual bar will suggest the actions that make the most sense for the specific situation you’re in.
For more driving-focused information, such as directions, current speed and range info, there’s a second, smaller screen right behind the steering wheel. This is also where the car contextualises the change from one mode to another, making sure you know what to expect from the car – and what the car expects from you.
“It’s all about providing you with the right information at the right time,” says Thomas Stovicek, head of UX at Volvo Cars. “We want your driving experience to be focused, simple and safe. Since the car also understands its surroundings and you better than ever before, we can create an even safer situation by reducing mode confusion, distraction and information overload.”
How our cars create trust
By combining the car’s exterior and interior sensing with in-house developed software and the car’s central computing power, we gain a new level of understanding of you and the world around you. The ambition is that the car should be able to read each situation and provide you with contextual information based on that input.
This means that when you drive, we support you. Our state-of-the-art sensor set gives a full 360-degree view of the car’s surroundings, allowing the car to react to things going on around it proactively, even when the assisted driving mode is inactive.
When you’re in assisted driving, we drive with you. The car will continuously let you know what it’s currently seeing, and what information it’s acting on. Beyond providing steering support and helping you keep a consistent speed, the mode assists you while changing lanes.
The Volvo EX90 will be hardware-ready for unsupervised autonomous driving, meaning that in the future the car can ultimately be able to drive for you. Our contextual user interface is designed to make the transition between the different driving modes as predictable and smooth as possible.
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Volvo Cars in 2021
Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 20.3 BSEK. Revenue in 2021 amounted to 282.0 BSEK, while global sales reached 698,700 cars.
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 to customers in more than 100 countries. Volvo Cars is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, where it is traded under the ticker “VOLCAR B”.
Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This is reflected in its ambition to become a fully electric car maker by 2030 and in its commitment to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
As of December 2021, Volvo Cars employed approximately 41,000 full-time employees. Volvo Cars' head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars' production plants are located in Gothenburg, Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu, Daqing and Taizhou (China). The company also has R&D and design centres in Gothenburg, Camarillo (US) and Shanghai (China).
For further information please contact:
Volvo Cars Media Relations
+46 31-59 65 25
media@volvocars.com
Volvo Cars Investor Relations
John Hernander
+46 31-793 94 00
investors@volvocars.com
How do you translate values into materials? And what does luxury mean in the world of today? Those were some of the questions facing our designers as they got to work on the interior of our forthcoming Volvo EX90 all-electric flagship SUV.
Their answers are in tune with the times, yet firmly rooted in the essential qualities of Scandinavian design: simplicity, well-being and natural sources.
Just like old metrics such as horsepower and acceleration have been swept aside by charging time and range, there’s a new paradigm in automotive luxury as well. For us, bling isn’t best. And the smell of new animal leather is no longer the only indication of a rich interior.
“We’ve chosen materials based on our values,” says Cecilia Stark, Senior Design Manager. “These choices leave behind old-fashioned automotive luxury and express our Scandinavian foundations. With the Volvo EX90 we take customer well-being as a design starting point.”
Translate that into tangible elements inside the Volvo EX90 and the result is one of the most pleasant and elegant car interiors on the market. At the same time, our interior composition reflects our sustainability ambitions, such as being a fully circular and climate-neutral company by 2040.
Forest wood and wool blends
Inside the Volvo EX90 you’ll find a progressive material that we’ve named Nordico.
Nordico is a contemporary expression of Scandinavian values and sets a new standard for premium interior design.
Created from textiles made from recycled material such as PET bottles, as well as bio-attributed material from responsibly-managed forests in Sweden and Finland, Nordico is a progressive and technically advanced material.
Speaking of forests: inside the Volvo EX90 we have FSC™-certified wood panels around the cabin. They’re nicely back-lit with warm light that creates a Scandinavian living room atmosphere and evokes the Nordic wilderness.
The Volvo EX90 also offers you the option of a wool blend seat finishing, a fabric certified according to strict sustainability standards on animal welfare, environmental and social issues.
In line with our ambitions in circularity, the Volvo EX90 also contains more recycled plastics in order to use less finite, primary resources. In addition to the recycled PET bottles, the Volvo EX90 consists of almost 50 kilogrammes of recycled plastics and bio-based materials. That’s the highest amount of non-primary fossil-based materials in our line-up and sets a new bar for the future.
The carpets also embrace the concept of circularity, partly consisting of regenerated polyamide.
A personal and distinct ambiance
Taking things beyond materials, the Volvo EX90 also offers you the opportunity to personalise your car’s atmosphere and appearance by choosing between seven different “rooms” that synchronise the interior deco and upholstery with the exterior colours.
Each room, specially created by our designers, provides a different character and offers a distinct ambiance to suit your tastes. And each is inspired by aspects of the Scandinavian lifestyle and its symbiotic relationship with the beautiful nature that surrounds us here in the North.
“The interior design and composition of the Volvo EX90 continues decades of iteration and innovation,” says Cecilia Stark. “We see interior composition as a learning process that will continue overtime based on your feedback, in-house innovation and new responsible sourcing opportunities.”
The new, all-electric Volvo EX90 will be revealed on November 9.
The Small Print
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Volvo Cars in 2021
Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 20.3 BSEK. Revenue in 2021 amounted to 282.0 BSEK, while global sales reached 698,700 cars.
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 to customers in more than 100 countries. Volvo Cars is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, where it is traded under the ticker “VOLCAR B”.
Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This is reflected in its ambition to become a fully electric car maker by 2030 and in its commitment to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
As of December 2021, Volvo Cars employed approximately 41,000 full-time employees. Volvo Cars' head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars' production plants are located in Gothenburg, Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu, Daqing and Taizhou (China). The company also has R&D and design centres in Gothenburg, Camarillo (US) and Shanghai (China).
For further information please contact:
Volvo Cars Media Relations
+46 31-59 65 25
Volvo Cars Investor Relations
+46 31-793 94 00
Many of us try to care for the environment by recycling the materials we can, cooking in a way that leads to less food waste or driving an electric car. When it comes to making your energy usage more sustainable, however, it can be hard to know how to increase the share of renewable sources in the electricity that you use.
Because while society is increasing its electrification, with cars playing a key part of the green transition, an increased demand for electricity can lead to a significant strain on the grid.
We believe that with bi-directional charging, electric cars can have the potential to contribute to an easing of this strain while plugged in - together with many other electric cars forming a virtual powerplant. It can also help power your own home energy needs and, when unplugged, become a battery on wheels powering your life on the go – for your cookout, power tools or music system.
The first Volvo car with bi-directional charging
The upcoming, fully electric Volvo EX90, which will be revealed on November 9, will be the first Volvo car to be hardware-ready for bi-directional charging capabilities. Initially becoming available in selected markets, bi-directional charging has the potential to help you make your energy utilisation cheaper, more efficient and sustainable. Paired with smart-charging capabilities coming to the Volvo Cars smartphone app, the Volvo EX90 will allow you to charge your car when demand from the grid and prices are low – usually meaning there are more renewable sources in the energy mix – and save that stored energy to be used later.
Once available, bi-directional charging in the Volvo EX90 could enable you to power your home, as well as other electric devices.
“With the Volvo EX90 you can power your life,” says Head of Electrification Ecosystem Olivier Loedel. “You could use its battery in many ways, from topping up your electric bike when you’re out and about, to hooking up an outdoor cooking appliance for your weekend camping trip. It could even power your house during the expensive peak hours of the day.”
Along with being able to charge appliances and other devices, your car will ultimately have the capability to lend a helping hand and give some of its charge to other compatible Volvos. On the flip side, if you’re about to run out of juice, don’t worry. You can accept the same help from other Volvo cars as well.
Where available, the entire charging process will be automatic and managed entirely by the smart charging functionality in the Volvo Cars app. The underlying algorithm also makes sure that you charge and discharge the battery in a limited way, reducing the risk of avoidable battery degradation.
Beyond the grid
Depending on rules specific to each energy market, bi-directional charging could also allow customers to support the grid in different ways. This could include taking in more energy during times when there’s a surplus of renewable energy, or selling energy back during peak usage hours when there is more demand. If most cars have this functionality in the future, then the grid could be balanced more often. That could increase the overall sustainability of the grid by reducing potential energy waste from renewable sources at times when production outperforms demand.
Imagine this scenario: You come home from work with plenty of energy left in the battery, which has earlier been charged with cheaper and cleaner electricity. During the evening, your car can be plugged in and discharge energy when electricity prices are higher. Since energy is generally cheaper when climate-neutral sources are contributing more to the power supply, this energy transaction can save money on your energy bill and give back cleaner energy to the grid at the same time.
“We believe in a future where our customers can support the grid using this technology, enabling a more efficient and sustainable use of electricity in everyday life,” says Olivier Loedel.
We plan to offer the hardware you need to start using bi-directional charging features, including an advanced wall box and home energy management system. Other accessories such as adapter plugs for appliances and cables for charging other cars will also be available.
The small print
-------------------------------
Volvo Cars in 2021
Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 20.3 BSEK. Revenue in 2021 amounted to 282.0 BSEK, while global sales reached 698,700 cars.
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 to customers in more than 100 countries. Volvo Cars is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, where it is traded under the ticker “VOLCAR B”.
Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This is reflected in its ambition to become a fully electric car maker by 2030 and in its commitment to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
As of December 2021, Volvo Cars employed approximately 41,000 full-time employees. Volvo Cars' head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars' production plants are located in Gothenburg, Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu, Daqing and Taizhou (China). The company also has R&D and design centres in Gothenburg, Camarillo (US) and Shanghai (China).
For further information please contact:
Volvo Cars Media Relations
+46 31-59 65 25
Volvo Cars Investor Relations
John Hernander
+46 31-793 94 00
Imagine the soft, barely discernible breathing movements of a sleeping child.
A new interior radar feature developed by our engineers is designed to be accurate and sensitive enough to detect the tiniest movements at sub-millimetre scale – such as those of a sleeping toddler. It’s the first such feature to cover the entire interior of the car, including the trunk.
Our new radar system, revealed today and which will be included in our forthcoming Volvo EX90 all-electric SUV, is designed to help address a cause of terrible tragedy that has proven all too real for too many families.
US government statistics show that since 1998, more than 900 children in the US have died after being left in hot cars. Heartbreakingly, a majority of hot car deaths occur because someone forgot that their child was in the car at the time.
We want to help ensure that no one will be left behind or forgotten.
Our new interior radar system will first be rolled out as standard, where regulation allows, on the Volvo EX90 that will be revealed on November 9. The feature will also be included in other forthcoming Volvo car models.
Technology that supports you
With sensors integrated in the overhead console, the roof-mounted reading lamps and the trunk of the car, our new system is the first that can detect sub-millimetre movement in the entire interior of the car.
To cover as much of the cabin as possible and sense whether a child or pet has been left in the car, we’ve spaced radars throughout the cabin from front to back, including the rear trunk.
“No one chooses to be distracted or tired, but we know it can happen,” says Lotta Jakobsson, our senior technical specialist in injury prevention. “We’re all human and distraction is a fact of life. With the help of cutting-edge technology, we’ll support you when you’re not at your best and help you avoid leaving family members or pets behind by accident.”
To notify you when you need it, and to help avoid ‘reminder fatigue’, our experts have determined that the best time to signal the potential presence of family members left inside the car is when you attempt to lock the car.
Every time you try to lock the car, the interior radar system is activated and determines whether your car is empty of any people or pets, before it allows the car to be locked.
If a family member or pet is detected inside, the car will remain unlocked and the car will display a reminder to check the cabin for occupants on the centre console screen.
The car’s climate system can remain on if people or animals are detected in the cabin, to improve comfort. This can also help lower the risk of hypothermia or heatstroke.
“We’ve always been a leader in safety, and we want to continue protecting lives by setting new standards in automotive safety,” says Lotta Jakobsson. “That also means making you feel safe and giving you peace of mind. That type of emotional safety will help you enjoy life to the fullest, while at the same time helping you to prevent tragedies from happening.”
The smallprint
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Volvo Cars in 2021
Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 20.3 BSEK. Revenue in 2021 amounted to 282.0 BSEK, while global sales reached 698,700 cars.
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 to customers in more than 100 countries. Volvo Cars is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, where it is traded under the ticker “VOLCAR B”.
Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This is reflected in its ambition to become a fully electric car maker by 2030 and in its commitment to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
As of December 2021, Volvo Cars employed approximately 41,000 full-time employees. Volvo Cars' head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars' production plants are located in Gothenburg, Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu, Daqing and Taizhou (China). The company also has R&D and design centres in Gothenburg, Camarillo (US) and Shanghai (China).
For further information please contact:
Volvo Cars Media Relations
+46 31-59 65 25
Volvo Cars Investor Relations
John Hernander
+46 31-793 94 00
Ask any person on the street what comes to mind when they think of Volvo Cars, and many will answer: safety. It’s what we’re proud to be known for, it’s what we’ve built our brand on.
For us, safety is not a marketing exercise or another regulatory hurdle to clear. It’s at the core of our purpose as a company.
As our chief executive Jim Rowan puts it in a new keynote, available for viewing HERE, we’ve been around for almost 100 years as a leader in automotive safety, setting new standards and inventing new technologies that have saved many lives.
In our forthcoming Volvo EX90 all-electric flagship SUV, which will be revealed on November 9, that legacy continues. The standard safety in the EX90 will be beyond that of any Volvo before it. As it should be, because only innovation can drive us forward and make things better.
We’ll continue to innovate until cars don’t crash anymore, until we’re 100 per cent carbon free as a company. All in order to protect more lives, in line with our purpose. The EX90 is the start of a new era for Volvo Cars, taking our legacy of safety, quality and innovation into the future.
Understanding the human experience
So what can you expect in our new Volvo EX90? It’s a car designed to understand you and its surroundings to help keep you, your loved ones and others in traffic safe. It can also get smarter and safer over time, as it learns from new data and receives updates.
The development of our latest safety technology is based on understanding human behaviour, rooted in decades of our own and others’ safety research. Every one of us is likely to experience or be affected by at least one car crash in our lifetime.
That’s not a judgment: we know that most of the time you’re a great driver, alert and ready to act when needed. But we’re all humans, and that also means to experience emotions.
We know that distraction and tiredness are facts of life, and that they travel with us. We know that you may not always be at your best, for whatever reason. And in traffic, it takes only a few seconds for the unthinkable to happen.
So our aim is to help you be a better driver and reduce the risk of a crash happening. The Volvo EX90 comes with an invisible shield of safety that includes our latest sensing technology, allowing the car to understand your state of mind and the world around you.
Tireless sensors
Start with the outside. State-of-the art sensors like cameras, radars and LiDAR, all powered by our core computing platform and software, work together to create a 360-degree real-time view of the world.
Our sensors don’t get tired or distracted. They are designed to respond and react when you’re just a millisecond too late. Our LiDAR senses the road in front of you, whether it’s day or night, also at highway speeds. It can see small objects hundreds of metres ahead, creating more time to inform, act and avoid.
And as our cars hit the roads and we learn from the data they generate, our research indicates that our software and sensors can help reduce accidents that result in serious injury or death by up to 20 per cent.
Likewise, we estimate we can even improve overall crash avoidance by up to 9 per cent, which could lead to millions of accidents avoided over time. That would be a big step in safety and for mankind.
A watchful guardian
Inside, our invisible shield of safety also looks out for you. Special sensors and cameras, powered by our own in-house developed algorithms, gauge eye gaze concentration. The technology allows the EX90 to see when you’re distracted, tired or otherwise inattentive, beyond what has been possible in a Volvo car to date.
It will alert you, first softly nudging, then more insistent if needed. And if the unthinkable happens, and you fall asleep or take ill while driving, the EX90 is designed to safely stop and call for help.
We will reveal a lot more details about our new all-electric flagship in coming weeks before the global reveal on November 9, so stay tuned!
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Volvo Cars in 2021
Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 20.3 BSEK. Revenue in 2021 amounted to 282.0 BSEK, while global sales reached 698,700 cars.
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 to customers in more than 100 countries. Volvo Cars is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, where it is traded under the ticker “VOLCAR B”.
Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This is reflected in its ambition to become a fully electric car maker by 2030 and in its commitment to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
As of December 2021, Volvo Cars employed approximately 41,000 full-time employees. Volvo Cars' head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars' production plants are located in Gothenburg, Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu, Daqing and Taizhou (China). The company also has R&D and design centres in Gothenburg, Camarillo (US) and Shanghai (China).
For further information please contact:
Volvo Cars Media Relations
+46 31-59 65 25
Volvo Cars Investor Relations
John Hernander
+46 31-793 94 00
We all like to think that we’re good drivers, but we also know that even the best among us make mistakes. People can be distracted, stressed, drowsy or in another state that impacts driving. And when people are not at their best, they may need help.
To reach our vision of a future with zero collisions, we have to look at all the reasons for why a crash might happen. Traditionally, we have focused on getting our cars to better understand what’s happening around them to help protect the people inside.
But to break new ground in how to protect people, we need to go further – we need to improve the car’s understanding of the driver’s state.
That is why we’re introducing our driver understanding system as standard in our EX90, which will be revealed on the 9th of November 2022. This real-time interior sensing system is guided by a straight-forward concept: if a Volvo car can understand when the driver is in a state that isn’t optimal for driving, the car can make sure to take action to help avoid accidents.
Our driver understanding system
The system will debut in the EX90 and complement a state-of-the-art exterior sensor set.
“Our research shows that by simply observing where the driver is looking and how often and for how long their eyes are closed, we can tell a lot about the state of the driver,” said Emma Tivesten, Senior Technical Expert, Volvo Cars Safety Center.
“By basing its calculations on our research findings, the sensing system allows our cars to identify whether the driver’s ability is impaired, perhaps due to drowsiness, distraction or other causes for inattention and to offer extra assistance in a way that best suits the situation.”
Using its two cameras to pick up early signals that indicate that the driver is not at their best, the system observes the driver’s eye-gaze patterns. By measuring how much of the time the driver looks at the road ahead, allowing for natural variations, it understands when the driver’s eyes, and perhaps therefore mind, are focused somewhere other than on driving.
Is the driver looking at the road too little? It can be a sign that they are visually distracted, perhaps from looking at their phone. Too much? That can be a sign of cognitive distraction, which could mean that the driver is occupied by their thoughts to the point where they no longer register what they are looking at.
The car’s capacitive steering wheel also plays a role. It senses if the driver lets go of the wheel, thus monitoring the stability of their steering input.
By using our patented technology for real time sensing of gaze patterns and steering behavior, the car will be able to take appropriate action to help the driver when needed. The assistance can start with a simple warning signal that grows in volume with the severity of the situation. If the driver doesn’t respond to increasingly clear warnings, the car can even safely stop by the side of the road, sending a warning to other road users with its hazard lights.
“We’ve made great progress on exterior sensing in the last decades, thanks to our committed work on crash prevention systems,” said Thomas Broberg, Acting Head of Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “Interior sensing is one of the next safety frontiers for us. We will continue to learn, develop and deploy new features step by step to help improve safety as our knowledge increases and matures.”
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Volvo Cars in 2021
Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 20.3 BSEK. Revenue in 2021 amounted to 282.0 BSEK, while global sales reached 698,700 cars.
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 to customers in more than 100 countries. Volvo Cars is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, where it is traded under the ticker “VOLCAR B”.
Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This is reflected in its ambition to become a fully electric car maker by 2030 and in its commitment to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
As of December 2021, Volvo Cars employed approximately 41,000 full-time employees. Volvo Cars' head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars' production plants are located in Gothenburg, Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu, Daqing and Taizhou (China). The company also has R&D and design centres in Gothenburg, Camarillo (US) and Shanghai (China).
For further information please contact:
Volvo Cars Media Relations
+46 31-59 65 25
Volvo Cars Investor Relations
John Hernander
+46 31-793 94 00
With LiDAR powered by core computing and software, Volvo Cars sees severe accidents decreasing by up to 20 per cent.
In the face of all the complex work we do to eliminate car crashes, fatalities and serious injuries, one simple fact still stands: the least dangerous crash is the one that never happens.
By researching, learning and developing, we have constantly improved the crash prevention systems in our cars, delivering some of the most advanced and effective systems to date. And our work continues as we head towards our vision of zero deaths and serious injuries in new Volvo cars.
With the Volvo EX90, which we’ll unveil on the 9th of November, we will offer one of the most advanced sensor sets on the market. A Volvo-unique set of eight cameras, five radars, 16 ultrasonic sensors, and a cutting-edge LiDAR sensor.
The car that looks out for you
LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges with high precision and fidelity.
The difference LiDAR can make for real-life safety is remarkable: our recent research indicates that adding LiDAR to an already safe car can reduce accidents with severe outcomes by up to 20 per cent, and overall crash avoidance can be improved by up to 9 per cent*.
Embedded in the roofline of the next EX90 and becoming standardised over time, the superior LiDAR technology can detect pedestrians at up to 250-metre distances and something as small and dark as a tire on a black road 120 metres ahead. All this while traveling at highway speeds. And because it’s not reliant on light like a camera, it’s watching over you in daylight and at night.
By combining our advanced sensors, in-house developed software and the car’s core computing power, we introduce redundancy for added safety, and aim to offer a car that can keep track of more potential hazards than we ever have before – both on the outside and inside.
The car will not only be able to step in and assist the driver, it will also have a better understanding of when it’s needed and how assist in the best way.
“We believe the EX90 to be the safest Volvo car to ever hit the road,” said Joachim de Verdier, head of Safe Vehicle Automation at Volvo Cars. “We are fusing our understanding of the outside environment with our more detailed understanding of driver attention. When all our safety systems, sensors, software and computing power come together, they create a preventative shield of safety around you – and you won’t even know it’s there until you need it.”
Our cars’ understanding of the outside world, together with their capability of better understanding the driver’s attention, also form critical parts of our forthcoming autonomous driving technology.
Once our safety verifications are in place and all necessary approvals have been secured, this Autonomous Drive technology will be introduced in the EX90.
*Scenario frequencies based on Volvo Cars Traffic Accident Database.
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Volvo Cars in 2021
Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 20.3 BSEK. Revenue in 2021 amounted to 282.0 BSEK, while global sales reached 698,700 cars.
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 to customers in more than 100 countries. Volvo Cars is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, where it is traded under the ticker “VOLCAR B”.
Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This is reflected in its ambition to become a fully electric car maker by 2030 and in its commitment to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
As of December 2021, Volvo Cars employed approximately 41,000 full-time employees. Volvo Cars' head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars' production plants are located in Gothenburg, Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu, Daqing and Taizhou (China). The company also has R&D and design centres in Gothenburg, Camarillo (US) and Shanghai (China).
For further information please contact:
Volvo Cars Media Relations
+46 31-59 65 25
Volvo Cars Investor Relations
John Hernander
+46 31-793 94 00
