Volvo Adds Waze, a Relief to Your Smartphone
Volvo is bowing to consumer demand by installing the popular crowd-sourced navigation app Waze into all of its global products.
Probably the biggest bonus for the many regular users of the real-time traffic hosting app is that now the battery life of their mobile phones won’t be gobbled up by the energy-hungry app. Now Waze becomes available to download on all Volvo cars with Google built-in and also brings the in-car app to drivers in the US and Asia Pacific for the first time.
Since it’s launch in 2006, Waze has become the go-to navigation aid for drivers wanting real-time traffic avoidance information because it employs information crowd-sourced by its own users. They would often use the app on their phones ahead of any automaker’s built-in system which could not compete with the app’s faster reaction to traffic conditions. The downside of having mobile phone batteries rapidly run down will now be a thing of the past in the Volvo infotainment system.
Displayed on vehicle’s infotainment system, the in-car app uses more of the center screen in the user interface making navigation easier to read with a bigger eye-level display area. Erik Severinson, Volvo global head of new car programs and operations strategy, said: “We’re continuing to expand our in-car app offer to bring more options and benefits to our customers, allowing them to personalize their car. We’re committed to continuously improving the experience in Volvo cars through our in-house software development and ongoing collaborations with tech companies such as Google and Waze.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
