How Google is stealing the show on Volvo’s new EV

Swedish run, Chinese-owned Volvo threw its hat into the electric vehicle ring today with the debut of the XC40 Recharge. 

Set to hit U.S. roads in late 2020 as a 2021 model, this all-electric version of the XC40 promises a tick over 200 miles of range on a single charge, 402 horsepower and a starting pricing of around $55,000 before any state or federal incentives. 

But it’s Google’s contribution that’s almost as big a news nugget as the Recharge model itself. 

This EV will be the first vehicle of any type to hit the market with Google’s all-new Android operating system. Though the interface will look similar to anyone who’s sat in a new Volvo in recent years, the system promises new levels of processing speed, capability, and customization. 

The system integrates Google Maps, Google Assistant, and the Google Play store as well as a host of other Android-supported apps. 

The Google Maps system will give real-time traffic updates and also calculates the EV’s remaining range once you reach the destination you’ve searched for. It also uses real-time data to not only display charging stations in your area, but it also displays which of those stations is currently available. 

Users can log in with an existing Google account, or they can use an anonymous guest account if they’d like to remain semi-private. Volvo said the vehicle wouldn’t send data on your usage of the vehicle or operating system to Google unless you explicitly opt-in, in which case it will share the same amount of data with Google as your phone already does. 

This OS will also allow for over-the-air updates both to it and to the XC40 Recharge itself. 

Sure, none of this is stuff that Tesla can’t currently do, but kudos to a mainstream brand like Volvo for integrating such capability on the back of an established tech entity like Google rather than trying to build a proprietary system themselves. 

As most automakers will tell you, they just don’t have the resources or wherewithal to design and implement systems that can keep up with the pace of relentless updates like we’re used to on our phones. Just ask Ford.  

Volvo, in particular, has seen the ratings of its vehicles take a hit largely due to its current infotainment system. Consumer Reports has long documented the many foibles of the existing Volvo setup and in a variety of vehicles (from the XC40 to the larger XC90 to the S60), as has J.D. Power.

This Android setup will eventually roll out to all subsequent Volvo models as well as General Motors vehicles starting in 2021.

Returning to the XC40 Recharge itself, the vehicle looks very much like the gas version on which it’s based (itself one of Volvo’s most popular models both globally and in the U.S.). But it does include a few morsels of updates made possible by the switch to an electric powertrain. 

There’s a small front trunk where the gas engine used to be, which will hold about a cubic foot of gear. 

The inside layout is identical to the ‘normal’ XC40 since the vehicle’s platform was designed from the onset to accommodate the 78 kWh battery pack without hogging cargo or passenger space. 

That battery will charge to 80 percent capacity in about 7.5 hours when using a home-charger network or in 40 minutes if you use an ultra-fast charging network. No word yet on which fast-charging network this Volvo will be working with. 

The just-over 200 miles of range isn’t EPA approved yet, but Volvo says it should be accurate. That number is good but not great, considering cheaper E.V.s like the Chevy Bolt, Hyundai Kona E.V., and Nissan Leaf Plus offer about 50 miles additional range and a price tag many thousands of dollars cheaper. And because most consumers expect between 200 and 300 miles of range for cheaper, non-luxury E.V.s.  

The XC40 Recharge is just the first in a line of pure E.V.s that Volvo plans to roll out at the rate of one per year until 2025. Each of these models — as well as the plug-in hybrid variants — will fall under Volvo’s new ‘Recharge’ subbrand of electrified models.