Volvo Cars and Google’s parent company Alphabet announced on Wednesday that the Swedish automaker has become the primary development partner for Android software. This collaboration will allow Volvo customers to access the latest software updates well ahead of competitors in the automotive industry.
“We’re going to be able to be fast in bringing new capabilities, new features and new experiences to our customers,” Alwin Bakkenes, Volvo’s head of global software engineering, said. “This really gives us an edge in building fantastic customer experiences.”
The two companies have been working together for a decade, but the deeper partnership means Google engineers will drive Volvo cars with the latest android software to “experience how their product behaves in a real context much earlier and much faster”, Bakkenes said.
He said on average the auto industry was about two Android software releases behind mobile phones, which “means things you can do on your mobile phone, in many cases you cannot do in the car”.
Volvo vehicles currently run on Android 13, but at Google’s I/O developer conference in Mountain View, California, the company showcased its flagship EX90 electric SUV operating on Android 15—the newest version of Google’s mobile OS. This upgraded system is expected to be featured in production models later this year.
“Others might have to wait two years to get” that latest version of Android, Bakkenes said.
At the I/O conference, Volvo and Google also showcased the integration of Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence model in the EX90. Volvo plans to introduce this AI feature across its vehicles equipped with Google built-in systems.
Bakkenes explained that instead of drivers manually searching their phones for a destination, they can simply ask Gemini to look through their emails or messages to find it. Additionally, drivers can, for example, request Gemini to search for recipes and then add the ingredients to a shopping list on their phone, creating what Bakkenes described as “a human-centric experience.”
The deepening partnership between Volvo Cars and Google marks a significant leap in automotive innovation, combining cutting-edge Android software with powerful AI capabilities. With Volvo becoming the lead development partner and integrating the latest Android 15 and Gemini AI into its vehicles, drivers can look forward to a more personalized, intuitive, and connected driving experience.
