It is a ‘trick’ that Tesla sometimes pulls: without replacing a single screw or chip on their cars, they can still improve the range. Volvo is now also doing a ‘Tesalatje’ and claims that the fully electric XC40 will have a larger range with an over the air update.
People who have been driving electrically for some time must watch with dismay how the battery capacity and thus the range of new electric cars are increasing hand over hand. There you are then early adopter! But sometimes car manufacturers come up with solutions that allow electric cars to drive further, without adjusting the hardware. Volvo is now also doing this with the fully electric XC40.
App helps EV driver
Especially as a novice EV driver, looking for the smartest driving style is to squeeze as many kilometers as possible from the battery pack of your car. It can also help to use certain comfort facilities in a different way. For example, the heating and air conditioning consume electricity. Many brands have apps that help the EV driver with this.
Smarter use of battery capacity
Volvo comes with an over the air update which ensures that battery capacity is used more intelligently and that regeneration is more efficient. For cars with an Android infotainment system, the update also includes a beta version of the Range Assistant app. Via this app, the driver receives tips for a more economical driving style, but the app can also optimize the climate control setting for the lowest possible power consumption. Another advantage of the app is that the current consumption and the remaining range are displayed more accurately. Unfortunately, Volvo does not report exactly what the improved software and the app will yield in practice.
Improvement of safety systems
The update also fixes some bugs in the infotainment and includes refinements to the safety systems. The new electric Volvo C40 is already equipped with the latest software ex works.