Volvo will use a single software program system backed by highly effective chips from Nvidia for all future fashions and can depend on “megacastings” to chop prices for electrical automobiles, the corporate mentioned on Thursday.
In releases forward of a deliberate investor occasion in Gothenburg, Volvo mentioned that beginning with its flagship electrical EX90 mannequin — which the Swedish automobile maker will start delivering to prospects this month — it can have a single “expertise stack” for all automobile fashions.
The EX90’s software program system is backed by Nvidia’s Drive Orin system-on-chip, which is able to over 250 trillion operations per second (Tops) and can be changed later this decade by a chip able to a thousand trillion Tops, Volvo mentioned.
That software program will assist Volvo construct higher security programs for its automobiles and always enhance automobiles in circulation by way of over-the-air updates, chief engineering and expertise officer Anders Bell mentioned in an interview.
Most main automobile makers say software-defined electrical automobiles will present alternatives to generate billions of {dollars} in extra income from promoting subscription companies, however Bell mentioned Volvo is not going to pursue that enterprise mannequin.
“The first purpose is to make the automobile higher and have a stickier product, to not promote plenty of subscriptions,” he mentioned.
Megacasting
Bell mentioned Volvo will depend on “megacasting”, which like gigacasting makes use of huge presses to make giant single aluminium items of car underbodies. Utilizing these giant single items lowers prices as they substitute many particular person items that have to be welded collectively.
Tesla has been a pioneer in using gigacasting, with a rising variety of automobile makers together with Common Motors and Nissan following go well with.
Bell mentioned that via using megacasting, Volvo can even have the ability to tremendously improve using recycled aluminium and scale back emissions all through its provide chain. — Nick Carey and Marie Mannes, (c) 2024 Reuters
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