Volvo Cars has expanded its partnership with Google to deliver some of the latest advancements offered with the tech giant’s Android Automotive OS to its models with Google built-in.
At the height of this offering will be Gemini, Google’s AI voice assistant that the companies together demonstrated being used in a Volvo EX90. Through the enhanced partnership, Volvo’s cars will now also serve as one of Google’s reference hardware platforms for future Android development in cars.
A key feature of the in-vehicle Gemini is its ability to hold more natural conversations with the driver. Here, Google highlighted that users can talk naturally to carry out a range of functions, such as writing messages, and translating them into another language before sending, while asking questions from the vehicle’s user manual or learning specific details on a destination. In carrying these functions out for the user, Google aims to reduce the driver’s cognitive load in order for them to stay focused on the road ahead and remove distractions for other vehicle occupants.
Through the expanded partnership, Volvo announced that its cars will now also become one of the reference hardware platforms used by Google in the development of its in-vehicle Android OS. This will see Google use Volvo Cars as a lead development partner for new features and updates before adding them to the main Android codebase. This will, in turn, allow the companies to jointly collaborate on new connected experiences, allow Volvo drivers first access to new Android features and performance enhancements.
While the companies have yet to reveal a rollout plan for Gemini, they confirmed that the AI will arrive later this year for Volvo models equipped with Google built-in, replacing the current Google Assistant.