Volvo gets into gear with Qualcomm to drive connectivity for EX90 Excellence

Qualcomm Technologies has announced it is expanding its work with Volvo on the seven-seater, fully electric sport utility vehicle, the Volvo EX90, with the four-seater variant of the range, the EX90 Excellence.

The vehicle is the latest part of the carmaker’s plan for transformation towards becoming a pure electric car brand by 2030.

With twin electric motors and all-wheel drive, the EX90 Excellence is designed to offer a smooth driving experience and a range of up to 650 km under the CLTC driving cycle on a single charge.

It shares the same technological base as the EX90, and is claimed by Volvo to be the safest four-seater it has ever built, boasting an “invisible shield of safety” enabled by its latest sensing technology, inside and outside, as well as Lidar technology as standard from Luminar and a driver understanding system. 

A core system – powered by the Nvidia Drive in-car computing platform with Xavier and Orin system-on-chips, Qualcomm Snapdragon Digital Chassis and in-house developed software by Volvo engineers – runs the key functions inside the car, from safety and infotainment to battery management.

A 14.5-inch centre screen provides a gateway to a highly intuitive infotainment system and works with a standard 5G connection where available.

Qualcomm said smartphones have created a benchmark for the kind of digital experiences people crave.

In its automotive offerings, the firm claimed it seeks to enable in-vehicle experiences that are safer, more entertaining and further personalised, as well as continuously upgradable to create next-generation driving experiences. 

The automotive technology incorporates high-performance computing powered by AI to enable in-vehicle intelligence. Specifically, it means adaptive settings which change depending on the driver and their pre-set preferences; contextual awareness and prompts to help keep drivers and their passengers aware and improve safety; and responsive voice control so the car can react instantaneously to instructions.

The Volvo EX90 boasts two screens: one to help drivers navigate between maps, media and phone contacts, and another, smaller screen behind the steering wheel, which offers driving-focused information such as directions, speed and range. The Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms help present this information with what is described as “captivating graphics and lightning-fast responsiveness”.

“Our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies is key to continuously improving the user experience in next-generation Volvo cars,” said Javier Varela, deputy CEO and chief operation officer at the carmaker. “The Volvo EX90’s infotainment system is more than twice as fast compared with the current generation of Volvo cars, while its graphics generation will be up to 10 times faster.”