Volvo’s technological showcase caught up in reality

The life of the Volvo Ex90 is not a long, quiet river. Already before its arrival on the market, the brand’s first large high -end electric SUV has accumulated delays. Especially due to software problems. Yet at the time of its presentation, the model coaled all the boxes of the high-end electric revolution: in addition to the fact that it may grill your smartphone if you take it a picture, because of its Lidar sensors for semi-autonomous driving, it has a 100 % new platform (SPA2), comfortable autonomy, integrated Google systems, OTA updates … But the reality is very different. Like many so-called “Software-Defined” vehicles, the ex90 seems to have been launched before being completely successful. Software bugs, electronic breakdowns, frozen screens, digital keys failure, uncontrollable air conditioning systems … The list is long! In any case that of this (very) dissatisfied client who even put online a website on which he lists all his problems.

A Canadian affair that crystallizes criticism

Vicken Kanadjian is a Canadian entrepreneur and loyal customer of the brand, who has decided to file a complaint against Volvo Cars Canada. He spent 147,605 Canadian dollars for an ex90 delivered last March. Three days later, the first dysfunctions appear. Then are linked: keys that do not work, a central screen broken down, out -of -service ventilation, loss of control of driving aid systems, and even brutal speed of acceleration in the highway, forcing the driver to stop urgently. Faced with what he describes as “unusable vehicle”, Kanadjian has created a dedicated site, myvolvox90.com, documenting each stage of his experience. Despite exchanges with customer service and a complaint filed with the federal organization Transport Canada, Volvo refused to take over the vehicle, saying that workshop repairs should still be tempted.

Visible limits of technology

The case of this owner is not isolated. We also pointed out to launch the models delivered without certain options. Moreover, even consumer postponements, the equivalent with us of 60 million consumers or UFC-Que Choosing, pointed out an unfinished vehicle. On the forums, in particular Reddit, similar testimonies accumulate. Some owners evoke updates that correct problems, others of globally positive experiences. But the contrast between users is striking and revealing a product that seems unstable, depending too strongly on software still in development. This situation recalls other precedents in the recent electric automobile. From the Ford Mustang Mach-E to the Mercedes EQS, several models launched experienced chaotic beginnings, often caught up in long sequences of fixes.

Bad for the brand image

When a vehicle is presented as a technological showcase, each fault takes on a tenfold magnitude. And not sure that it is good like Volvo, yet considered the most at the most point in safety. What the Swedish manufacturer gains in innovation image, it loses it in credibility If the user experience is not up to par. And at the price of the ex90, from € 89,500 in France, tolerance to “glitches” quickly becomes limited. Volvo will undoubtedly be able to correct as many flaws of his car progress through remote software updates. But the affair of this Canadian, although we do not have to make it a generality, may well tarnish the image of the brand.