Volvo Cars Expands Strategic Partnership with Google to Advance In-Car Android System Development

Volvo Cars and Alphabet, the parent company of Google (170.06, +4.74, +2.87%), announced on Wednesday that Volvo is now a primary development partner for the Android in-car system. This development allows Volvo owners to receive system updates ahead of other brands. Alwin Bakkenes, Volvo’s Global Head of Software Engineering, stated, “We will be able to deliver new features, new functionalities, and new experiences to customers more quickly. This indeed gives us an advantage in creating an excellent customer experience.”

Although the two companies have collaborated for a decade, this strengthened partnership now involves Google engineers testing the latest systems directly in Volvo vehicles. Bakkenes noted that Android systems in the automotive sector typically lag behind smartphones by two generations, which limits in-car functionality compared to mobile devices.

At present, Volvo vehicles operate on Android 13. At the Google I/O developer conference in Mountain View, California, the companies jointly showcased Volvo’s flagship electric SUV, the EX90, running Android 15. This newest version of the operating system is expected to be installed in production vehicles later this year. Bakkenes added, “Other car manufacturers may have to wait two years to access this latest version.”

The conference also featured a demonstration of Google’s Gemini AI model integrated into the EX90, with plans to gradually roll out the technology across all Volvo models equipped with Google services. As an example, Bakkenes explained that drivers can ask Gemini to locate an address found in emails or messages or request it to generate a grocery list based on a selected recipe—highlighting a human-centered interactive experience.