The Volvo EX90 Was A Disaster. Here's Why The EX60 Should Be Different

"The transition to software-defined vehicles hasn't been easy for anybody. But in a sea of struggling companies, Volvo is among the most bruised. Its all-electric EX30 and EX90 were heavily delayed by software issues, yet still arrived buggy and unfinished, forcing Volvo to spend much of last year quashing bugs over-the-air. Screens were glitchy, the keyless entry systems often failed, and in a few harrowing cases, the vehicle lost power on the highway."

"Consumers who are surprised by EV teething issues often don't realize how different the design and production process can be. Vehicles like the Volvo EX90, Tesla Model Y and Rivian R1 are what experts call software-defined vehicles. This doesn't just mean they have sleek screens and snappy software; it's a new approach to building vehicles, pioneered by Tesla. Car companies have typically farmed out production of most of their parts to external suppliers. For hardware, that makes sense,"

"The Volvo EX30 and EX90 had a lot of software issues, in part because they were the brand's first software-defined vehicles. The forthcoming EX60 will use the same fundamental software as the EX30 and EX90, just with some new capabilities. That should make it a much smoother launch. But if you're not ok with teething issues, you may still want to wait, as most software-defined vehicles have launched with bugs in the past."

Volvo's early software-defined vehicles, the EX30 and EX90, experienced extensive software problems that delayed deliveries and produced persistent bugs. Screens malfunctioned, keyless entry systems often failed, and some vehicles lost power on highways. Those failures damaged brand image and slowed electrification plans. Volvo plans to deploy the EX60 using the same core software as the EX30 and EX90 while adding capabilities, which should reduce integration risk and produce a cleaner launch. The company used over-the-air fixes and process changes to address issues, but cautious consumers may still choose to wait for stability.

Read at insideevs.com