The Volvo EX90 electric large SUV rolls off the line at the automaker's U.S. factory in South Carolina.
Volvo is alerting customers around the world that key features in its EX90 may not be available when they take delivery of the automaker's flagship electric large SUV.
It is the latest setback for the crucial model, which is built at Volvo's U.S. factory near Charleston, South Carolina, and is coming to market this quarter, roughly two years later than planned because of software issues.
Volvo has provided a list of the features and functionalities that may be delayed.
Customers in all global markets where Volvo has taken orders for the EX90 have been informed, a spokesperson confirmed.
Features and functions that could require an update to become active include: the EX90's lidar system; two advanced driver assistance (ADAS) programs that improve safety at intersections; the SUV's ability to access an iPhone via Siri voice commands; the ability to transfer excess energy from the vehicle to the home; and the removal of a requirement to run the car's core system in the background even when parked, which drains the battery by 3 percent every 24 hours.
Volvo CEO Jim Rowan downplayed the delays when asked about them during a question-and-answer session with analysts July 18 around the release of the company's second-quarter financial results.
"The whole point of a software-defined vehicle that has over-the-air update capabilities is to continually upgrade that software. We can do that," he said. "I think that customers who invest in advanced technology products like the EX90 understand this fully, and they will reap the benefits over time."
"It [the EX90] will have a fantastic set of features from the start, but obviously we can add more features and unlock more benefits ... as the software teams develop different features for the car," Volvo CEO Jim Rowan said.
Rowan added that Volvo doesn't expect the delay of the features to hurt the EX90's sales.
"We don't see any major loss of pre-bookings or pre-orders as a result of updating the car's software as it gets further into its journey," he said.
Software struggles
Volvo also had to recall the EX30 electric small SUV in June because of a software issue.
Other automaker have struggled because of software troubles.
The 2020 launch of the Volkswagen ID3 was delayed because of software glitches. When VW began ID3 deliveries in Europe in September of that year it did so without including key functions. The problems were fixed in December.
After a delay of more than two years, the battery-powered Porsche Macan premiered in January.
The premium platform electric (PPE) architecture that underpins the midsize SUV introduces parent Volkswagen Group's 1.2 software platform, but the group's Cariad software unit struggled to develop the technology, resulting in the delay, which also affected the debut of the new Audi Q6 E-tron.
Cariad's software was not ready in time.
According to McKinsey, the delays likely cost the company up to €3 billion.
