The new Volvo EX60, a fully electric SUV, which will have its world premiere on January 21, will be the first model from Volvo to feature the advanced virtual assistant Gemini from Google, a technology that provides a significantly improved level of interaction between driver and vehicle. Aimed at users of smartphones and other mobile devices running on the Android operating system, it boasts more features than its predecessor, thanks to artificial intelligence, with its integration into Android Auto and vehicles with Android Automotive systems being the next step in the strategy of the American technology giant.
Positioned as a more personalized and personal technology, with which the user can have natural interactions, Gemini responds to more complex commands and is capable of performing specific tasks. For example, drivers can ask the system to find the address of a hotel reservation in their email, check if a recently purchased item fits in the trunk of their EX60, or suggest ideas for an upcoming trip. This integration follows the ongoing collaboration between Volvo Cars and Google, a partnership that has lasted nearly a decade.
The EX60 contains the latest version of HuginCore, a central system whose name derives from the bird in Norse mythology, which enables the car to think, process, and act. This is the first time a name has been given to the central system, which encompasses the internally developed electrical architecture, the central computer, the zone controllers, and the software inside the Volvo.
“The new EX60 is packed with human-centered technology. It has been designed to enhance your driving experience”, says Anders Bell, Head of Engineering and Technology at Volvo Cars. “The HuginCore is our state-of-the-art hardware and software system, which combines internally developed technology with the best services and technologies from leaders like Google, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm Technologies”.
Volvo, in the EX60, uses the new generation of the Snapdragon Cockpit Platform from Qualcomm for advanced processing capability (the best ever applied in a model from the brand); expanded connectivity via the Snapdragon Auto Connectivity Platform, also from Qualcomm Technologies (four years of unlimited free data); and the NVIDIA Drive platform, with accelerated computing powered by the NVIDIA Drive AGX Orin, which operates with the DriveOS operating system and has safety certification.
The central HuginCore system elevates the safety levels of the EX60 by constantly reading and assessing the world around the vehicle through its wide range of sensors, supporting the driver in real time. Given its ability to perform 250 trillion operations per second, it not only processes information but learns with every kilometer, thanks to the experiences of other Volvo cars worldwide, including accidents and “near-misses,” to gain capabilities over time. At the same time, the EX60 has been designed to receive regular remote updates, which also allows it to evolve over time, through the Superset technology cell, which also benefits from the integration of Gemini, as it enhances its ability to interpret the world around it.
