Volvo Cars announced its plans for an entirely new “Tech Hub” that will be serving as a key software development center. The EV maker will set it up in Krakow, Poland, possibly setting it by the year’s end. The company looks forward to going entirely electric by 2030.
Since announcing its target of becoming an entirely-EV brand by the end of the decade, Volvo Cars has made huge strides in embracing the movement, while simultaneously working to develop the technology to help get it there. Since being acquired by Geely Holding Group in 2010, Volvo is gearing up for its largest overhaul to date, vowing to convert its entire lineup of base models to BEVs over the next several years. The automaker’s current EV lineup remains somewhat small but is growing and saw more than double sales in 2022 alongside record-setting revenues.
As Volvo Cars braces for a potentially challenging year due to continued supply chain disruptions, it remains confident its EV sales growth will continue. A model with the potential to truly bolster Volvo’s global sales will be the upcoming EX90, which its maker is hailing as the “safest vehicle it has ever produced.” As Volvo Cars look to lead by example in promoting electrification, it also intends to become a global leader in new EV technology, more specifically, software developed in-house. We’ve learned today that much of the software technology we will see in future Volvo EVs will come from Poland.
Tech Hub
The details were shared by the automaker in Poland on Tuesday. It shows that it includes the new Tech Hub in Krakow – the country’s second-largest city behind Warsaw, it’s capital. According to the automaker, the new hub will inherit the full responsibility of developing complete key features for new BEVs, including core safety, perception, driver assistance, and autonomous driving capabilities.
It is known that EVs like the EX90, are becoming more and more software-defined, setting the stage for automakers to gain a larger segment of the market by delivering cars and trucks that are not only more technologically advanced than competitors but also offer the capability to get better over time using over-the-air (OTA) updates. Volvo recognizes this and says it is putting large efforts into the new Tech Hub and its engineering staff to accelerate its transformation into an EV software leader. Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan spoke, “We’re a purpose-led and technology-driven company, so our new generation of Volvo cars will be more than just transport. They’ll be computers on wheels, designed to be updated over the air with new software. That means our Krakow tech hub and growing our in-house software development capabilities are key to our future success.”
