Zenuity, the assisted and autonomous driving software company, has taken another significant step with the inclusion of its assisted driving and safety software in Volvo Cars’ soon-to-be-revealed fully electric XC40 sports utility vehicle.
The move marks the first time Zenuity software has been used in a global premium high volume vehicle, after a similar system was included in March this year in the Polestar 2, the all electric performance car.
Safety is at the core of Zenuity’s products. Volvo Cars is renowned globally for its commitment to automotive safety, while Polestar is jointly owned by Volvo alongside the Geely Group. Zenuity is a 50-50 joint venture between Volvo Cars and Veoneer, two of the Nordic region’s most famous names in automotive safety.
The use of Zenuity software in the Volvo’s XC40 and the Polestar 2 underlines its advanced product development capability and the commercial attraction of its offering as a result of its safety credentials and assisted driving capabilities.
Zenuity, which was formed 2.5 years ago, is now working globally alongside Veoneer to supply auto manufacturers in the US, China and Europe. It enjoys an especially close relationship with Volvo and is also a preferred supplier to the ZGH group.
ZGH is China’s fastest growing privately owned automotive group with brands that include Volvo, Polestar, Proton, LYNK CO, Lotus, LEVC and Geely Auto. It sold 2.15m cars in 2018.
With the introduction of the forthcoming fully electric Volvo XC40 SUV next month, Volvo Cars is not just launching its first fully electric car – it is also introducing one of the safest cars on the road.
In terms of active safety systems, the batterypowered XC40 is the first Volvo model equipped with a new Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensor platform with software developed by Zenuity and Veoneer.
The new ADAS platform is a modern, scalable active safety system that consists of an array of radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors. Because of its scalable nature it can easily be developed further and lays the foundation for the future introduction of autonomous drive technology.
