Volvo begins to equip electric cars with supercomputers

In early July 2021, Volvo Cars announced the use of supercomputers in its cars. The first new equipment will be an electric SUV, which the automaker calls the successor to the Volvo XC90.

This is a stand-alone computer based on the Nvidia Drive Orin single-chip system. The device will process data coming from multiple sensors that are installed in vehicles. Among them is a lidar manufactured by Luminar.

Volvo begins to equip electric cars with supercomputers, the first model is the Volvo XC90 electric SUV

In addition to a set of sensors and a computer system with artificial intelligence, Volvo's future flagship model will also be equipped with backup systems for key functions - such as steering or braking. This will make the car at the hardware level prepared for safe autopilot.

These backup systems, together with LiDAR sensors, computer capabilities and software, will allow you to implement the Highway Pilot function, developed in-house by Volvo Cars and its Zenseact autopilot software company.

It is expected that the developed technology will become more advanced over time and will allow the car to assist the driver, complementing his capabilities in safety-critical situations. If the technology of previous generations was primarily focused on warning the driver about sudden dangers, then the new technology will over time be able to increasingly carry out the intervention necessary to prevent collisions.

Vovlo noted that the flagship electric crossover will be equipped with a supercomputer even in the basic version. The car is scheduled to enter the market in 2022.^[1]

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