Volvo Delays EX90 to Deal With LiDAR Software Integration Issues
As the automotive world moves closer to semi-autonomous and someday, autonomous driving functions, vehicles will need more sensors and advanced tools to “feel” their way through the surrounding environment. Volvo plans to do that with the upcoming EX90 EV, but it appears the advanced sensor array could be causing delays.
Volvo said it delayed the EX90 to mid-2024 to sort out issues with the LiDAR system’s software. Engineers are having more trouble integrating the software into the SPA2 EV platform architecture than expected. Volvo CEO Jim Rowan said the delay could extend to five or six months, thanks to the “complexity of the software code.”
Rowan continued, “We’re writing a lot of the software ourselves. We wanted to make sure that the first time we put LiDAR into our safety stack, it operates the way it should.” In addition to LiDAR tech, the EX90 will sport eight cameras and several other cameras, and inside, the SUV gets groundbreaking sensors that can detect small movements, such as a child breathing in the back seat.
As Automotive News pointed out, Volvo’s not the only automaker struggling with technology. Volkswagen has had a much more difficult time managing the rollout of its software, and it has led to the delay of the Porsche Macan EV.
[Image: Volvo]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back." — Your local car dealer
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