Volvo And Polestar Introduce Range Assistant Beta App Through Over-The-Air Update

Owners of the Volvo XC40 Recharge and the Polestar 2 will be able to better manage their range thanks to a new app being beta tested in the vehicle’s infotainment system. Introduced via an over-the-air update, the app coaches the driver and optimizes certain battery functions to help eke out every mile of range possible.

The Range Assistant app helps drivers keep track of the available range of their all-electric vehicle and helps optimize it with smart energy management and easy to follow advice on how best to drive for efficiency.

The app is embedded in the vehicles’ Android-powered infotainment system. It gives drivers real-time energy consumption data and can adjust the climate system automatically to improve driving range, a feature the companies see as particularly useful on long trips.

The latest update also gives drivers better range thanks to smarter battery management and regeneration performance, as well as a better-optimized timer to pre-condition the batteries before a trip.

The Volvo XC40 Recharge launched in 2020 with 208 miles (335 km) of range on the EPA’s test cycle, while the Polestar 2 is rated by the EPA to up to 265 miles (426 km) of range. The Volvo C40 Recharge will come with the app installed from the factory.

In addition to these improvements, the update also improves the vehicles’ safety systems, adds new information about how cold weather impacts battery range, and a selection of bug fixes.

“Through in-house development of software and over-the-air updates, we can constantly improve our cars and make sure that your electric Volvo stays fresh,” said Sanela Ibrovic, head of connected experience at Volvo Cars. “The Range Assistant app is a great example of how quick development and deployment of new features can improve the Volvo customer experience every day.”

Volvo is rolling out the software update immediately and anticipates that all available vehicles will be updated by the end of October.