Volvo adds cloud hazard alerts for three electric vehicles
Volvo has updated the software of the EX60, EX90 and ES90 electric vehicles, adding cloud-based hazard notifications that one car can detect and relay to other nearby vehicles of the brand. Motor1 reports. The new alerts concern large animals, vulnerable road users, roadworks and accidents ahead.
How the alerts work
The system uses cameras and sensors installed in the EX90 and related models. When a vehicle detects a potential hazard, including a large animal near the road, it records its location and sends the data to Volvo's servers. The information can then be received by other connected Volvo vehicles travelling on the same road.
The update expands the Connected Safety system, which has for several years transmitted warnings about slippery roads and activated hazard lights between Volvo vehicles. According to the publication, these functions are available for most current Volvo models in Europe, the United States and Canada, except for the EX30. For the new EX-series electric vehicles, the list of hazards has been supplemented with alerts about pedestrians and cyclists, roadworks, accidents and animals near the carriageway.
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Dependence on connectivity and accuracy
The operation of the new alerts depends on the vehicle's internet connection and the presence of the road in the mapping database. The new EX models have the computing capabilities to process information in real time.
Volvo's head of safety, Åsa Haglund, told Autocar that notifications should appear only when they are relevant to the driver. According to her, frequent or unfounded alerts may cause drivers to begin ignoring them. She also stressed that the technology is intended to assist the person behind the wheel rather than replace their judgment. Volvo expects to eventually extend cloud-based alerts to more models.
