Volvo Cars is adding four new Connected Safety hazard alerts to the EX60, EX90 and ES90, expanding a car-to-car warning system that more than 1 million Volvo cars have already activated. The alerts cover large animals, pedestrians and cyclists, roadwork, and accidents ahead, and reach vehicles through a software update. The company says the release builds on connected safety technology it first launched in 2016, and follows its recognition by S&P Global Mobility as the only legacy carmaker to reach Level 5 capability in software-defined cars.
Highlights
- Four alerts join the Connected Safety suite: Large Animal, Vulnerable Road User, Roadwork and Accident Ahead
- More than 1 million Volvo cars have activated connected safety technology
- The system has been in the field since 2016, generating hazard alerts from data shared between cars
- Availability covers the EX60, EX90 and ES90 across Europe, the United States and Canada
What Do the Four New Alerts Cover?
Each alert is generated from data shared by other connected cars:
- Large Animal Alert can warn other drivers when a large animal is detected on or near the road ahead.
- Vulnerable Road User Alert can warn other drivers when pedestrians and cyclists are detected ahead on or near highways.
- Roadwork Alert can warn other drivers when roadwork is detected ahead.
- Accident Ahead Alert can warn other drivers of accidents further ahead, drawing on real-time data from connected Volvo cars or traffic management centers.
Volvo says the additions extend the system’s ability to deliver clear, early warnings in low-visibility conditions such as winding roads or poor weather. They complement the Slippery Road Alert and Hazard Light Alert already in the suite.
Sharing Data Beyond the Volvo Fleet
Alert data does not stay inside Volvo’s own fleet. Through the European Data for Road Safety ecosystem, it can also be shared with cars from other brands and with national traffic management centers.
“Built on decades of our real-world safety insight, these innovations represent another step towards our vision of zero collisions,” says Åsa Haglund, head of Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “Every time a Volvo car shares safety intelligence, it helps other drivers prepare earlier to avoid accidents and feel safer.”
Where the Update Lands
The connected safety features will be available in the EX60, EX90 and ES90 in Europe, the US and Canada, with timing varying by car model. The same software update brings Spatial Audio support in Apple CarPlay to the EX90, enabled by the Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system and its 25 speakers.
Features Added After the Sale
Volvo frames the release as an example of how its software-defined cars continue to add safety features and become better over time — capability delivered as software to vehicles already built, rather than as new hardware.
