The paint is barely dry on Volvo’s current infotainment system and the Swedish automaker’s already implementing an overhaul with the debut of its upcoming EV.
On Thursday, Volvo announced the upcoming EX60 electric SUV will feature the automaker’s latest infotainment system, which will have Google Gemini baked in. The EX60 is set to be revealed in a week on January 21.
Volvo said Gemini will be “deeply integrated with the car” and will allow drivers to manage tasks without memorizing commands including the ability to find a hotel booking address in their email.
The new system, which Volvo has named HuginCore after the bird in Norse mythology, runs off an in-house developed electrical architecture, core computer, and zone controllers.
Volvo’s current infotainment system is based on Google’s Android Auto OS, though it lacks Gemini integration. The single teaser image Volvo released shows a similar, though different, interface from what we can see with vehicle and climate control functions locked to the bottom of the screen. A, possibly crystal, volume knob remains on the center console.
The new system will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Auto Connectivity Platform, which will come with four years of unlimited data. It’s unclear how much the data connection will cost owners after that period is expired.
The HuginCore system will integrate the EX60’s safety systems and sensor suite to enable the car to understand its surroundings, according to Volvo. The automaker said this enables the EX60 to support drivers in real time and draw on information from other Volvos including accidents and near-miss situations. This data will make the system more data rich and improve safety over time, according to Volvo.
Over-the-air updates are said to improve the EX60 over time as Volvo integrates Gemini deeper within the car’s systems including tapping the car’s cameras. Volvo said eventually the EX60 will be able to tell occupants about the world around the car.
Volvo hasn’t said when any of these new hardware and software components will be added or swapped over to the larger EX90, but expect the automaker to adopt the HugeinCore system and hardware across its lineup over time.
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As Director of Content and Product, Joel draws on over 15 years of newsroom experience and inability to actually stop working to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media. He’s also a World Car Award juror.