Volvo Admits Software program Is Exhausting. However Its 2026 Automobiles Might Lastly Repair the Drawback

Automobile producers are shortly studying {that a} software-defined car will not be a straightforward factor to, nicely, outline. It’s a complete new world for auto producers who as soon as simply needed to fear about suspension design, engines or different oily bits, however now discover themselves within the fantastic world of matching pc {hardware} specs with UX and UI design.

It hasn’t at all times gone all that nicely. Simply ask Volvo. Its newest foray into its as soon as fully-electric future has gone lower than easily. The EX30 and EX90 debuted with a ground-up new infotainment software program primarily based on the Android Automotive structure. Reception has been considerably blended, to say the least. Each our personal editor-in-chief, Patrick Georgeand the editor-in-chief of our sister website, Motor 1, Jeff Perezhad a whole lot of gripes with Volvo’s interface.

But, when I discovered myself in Santa Monica getting some seat time with Volvo’s 2026 model-year lineup, I didn’t expertise the identical points. In truth, I discovered Volvo’s system fairly agreeable and was typically flawless in operation within the two EX30 items I spent the majority of my time with for the day.

Picture by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

What provides? Am I a contrarian? Possibly considerably. I’m not a buttons-or-bust sort of individual relating to fashionable automotive interfaces. Nonetheless, there’s extra occurring right here. A dialog with the President of Volvo Automobiles North America, Luis Rezende, revealed some key issues about Volvo’s software-driven future, and a few of the extra distinctive challenges it and different manufacturers face relating to creating and curating the entire automotive expertise that pleases everybody throughout the globe.

Much less Nagging, Extra Driving

Volvo says it’s getting higher at software program for just a few causes. For starters, it listened to suggestions.

Initially, the majority of the EX30’s complaints surrounded its driver consciousness options; wanting away from the highway to the center-mounted and type of slender portrait-style middle display screen would induce a nag from the automotive’s minder. Add within the pace restrict recognition from the automotive, and the reviewers consistently complained of a frustratingly annoying driving expertise. Edmundsfor instance, stated the automotive gave a full 22 alerts inside a brief two-mile drive. That’s fairly unhealthy.

The Volvo EX30 from 2025.

Picture by: Patrick George

All of that’s gone now. In fact, the automotive nonetheless has its driver consideration monitor, however the total impact is loads much less intrusive. Over a full day of driving an EX30 Single Motor and an EX30 Cross Nationthe automotive didn’t have any loud or annoying driver reminders. That in itself ought to go a protracted approach to assuaging the claims that the automotive was borderline undrivable from how annoying the infotainment interface is to make use of.

In any other case, the automotive’s UX continues to be about the identical because it’s ever been, for higher or worse. This implies there’s a centrally mounted display screen that homes all the related drive information, and no actual bodily buttons. For those who’ve cherished the interface of any given Tesla, you’ll seemingly really feel at dwelling. However I worry that my colleagues within the business who’re anti-touchscreen should still discover the interface irritating.

Picture by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

I assumed it was fairly good. It felt similar to the vehicles I’ve pushed and skilled in China, and favored—though I admit that a few of the interactions felt somewhat too menu and dialogue field heavy, and I puzzled if there was just a bit an excessive amount of occurring the principle display screen at one time. I obtained used to it, although.

Rezende says that that is type of one of many largest challenges the model now faces in its new UX software program journey: pleasing everybody, whereas nonetheless not falling too deep into concepts of what’s proper and fallacious. Sure, there are many very actual criticisms towards big-screen, intense software program options, however a few of the critiques could be type of regionalized amongst client developments in numerous nations and even ages. Rezende in contrast it to how individuals use telephones.

Picture by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

“I believe 15 years in the past, there was nonetheless hesitant to make large transactions on their cell phone, like say, large purchases,” he stated. Right now, Gen Z does this all the time. Within the context of vehicles, Rezende stated the message right here is twofold. One level is that the concept of what’s acceptable or comfy may change. But in addition, it revealed that typically the expectations between two completely different locations are completely completely different—and reconciling these two areas isn’t simple.

“There are two completely different experiences being developed with the automotive,” Rezende stated, in reference to how Volvo’s staff dances between satisfying its American and European clients towards what consumers in China. “(There may be) a very completely different relationship and collection of expectations of what the automotive ought to have, various the explanation why that’s,” he stated. That’s not simple.

Photographs of the Lynk & Co 900 in China, Shanghai Auto Present 2025

Picture by: Patrick George

For instance, China loves voice-controlled instructions and built-in passenger leisure choices. Simply take a look at the interiors of vehicles just like the Lynk & Co 900 or any given Li Automobile: screens galore, however a whole lot of the screens in these interiors are centered on leisure. By comparability, U.S. clients nonetheless want buttons and a bring-your-own-device expertise for any type of in-car infotainment. The Europeans, too; buttons are even being mandated again into vehicles for security causes there.

Plus, American Volvo consumers are nonetheless new to fashionable automotive expertise. “Once we first introduced the (EX30 and EX90), I believe that individuals within the U.S. have been in a unique state of the electrification journey,” he stated. “(First) there was Tesla, and Tesla is a template.”

Rezende says that a lot of the business could have been copying Tesla on some stage. However now clients are beginning to understand that different manufacturers are fixing the identical design challenges, they usually’re fascinated with what Volvo’s doing.

Issues Ought to Get Simpler (Hopefully)

Rezende stated that Volvo’s infotainment system continues to be an ever-evolving beast, however it ought to get higher the extra time goes on. For instance, the model has been listening to clients who’re allegedly enamored with the potential of the system and its capacity to do, say, run apps. Rezende says that Volvo finally desires so as to add extra Android-level providers to its automobiles primarily based on what its clientele finds attention-grabbing.

Picture by: InsideEVs

From a technical standpoint, glitches ought to go down. For the 2026 mannequin yr, all of Volvo’s new automobiles, together with its gasoline and plug-in hybrid fashions, can be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. (That’s, aside from the flagship EX90, which has an up to date Nvidia Drive OrinX chip.) They’ll all run the identical software program.

The streamlining of technical tools signifies that Volvo received’t must tweak the software program for every particular person mannequin a lot, standardizing improvement and rushing issues alongside. Rezende says that is similar to what’s occurring in China, and he’s proper. Stroll into any given BYD supplier, and every mannequin can have a similarly-sized display screen working the identical software program with minor tweaks, on roughly the identical under-the-skin technical specs.

That is encouraging, even when it’s nonetheless somewhat too quickly to say if Volvo’s efforts and guarantees have paid off. I favored the EX30, however the model’s largest ache level has been the EX90’s software program.

Picture by: Volvo

Rezende says the up to date Nvidia chip went a protracted approach to making the automotive run higher. A minimum of from a brief 15-minute expertise with the EX90, the automotive felt as seamless because the EX30s I had pushed all day. However a 15-minute drive isn’t actually sufficient time to search out out if a automotive will randomly brick itself or have extreme issues with its ADAS options. I’ll must take his phrase for it till certainly one of us right here at InsideEVs can get our fingers on one for an prolonged time period.

Within the meantime, Volvo’s nonetheless obtained an enormous highway forward of itself. However no less than to me, issues really feel somewhat bit extra hopeful.

Contact the writer: kevin.williams@insideevs.com