Volvo will use a single software system backed by powerful chips from Nvidia for all future models and will rely on “megacastings” to cut costs for electric cars, the company said on Thursday.
In releases ahead of a planned investor event in Gothenburg, Volvo said that starting with its flagship electric EX90 model — which the Swedish car maker will begin delivering to customers this month — it will have a single “technology stack” for all car models.
The EX90’s software system is backed by Nvidia’s Drive Orin system-on-chip, which is capable of over 250 trillion operations per second (Tops) and will be replaced later this decade by a chip capable of a thousand trillion Tops, Volvo said.
That software will help Volvo build better safety systems for its cars and constantly improve vehicles in circulation via over-the-air updates, chief engineering and technology officer Anders Bell said in an interview.
Most major car makers say software-defined electric vehicles will provide opportunities to generate billions of dollars in additional revenue from selling subscription services, but Bell said Volvo will not pursue that business model.
“The primary goal is to make the car better and have a stickier product, not to sell a lot of subscriptions,” he said.
Megacasting
Bell said Volvo will rely on “megacasting”, which like gigacasting uses massive presses to make large single aluminium pieces of vehicle underbodies. Using those large single pieces lowers costs as they replace many individual pieces that need to be welded together.
Tesla has been a pioneer in the use of gigacasting, with a growing number of car makers including General Motors and Nissan following suit.
Bell said that through the use of megacasting, Volvo will also be able to greatly increase the use of recycled aluminium and reduce emissions throughout its supply chain. — Nick Carey and Marie Mannes, (c) 2024 Reuters
