Volvo and Polestar are upgrading electric vehicles with new supercomputer chips at no cost.
Volvo
Free software updates for vehicles are now standard in the car industry, particularly for electric models. However, hardware upgrades typically differ; manufacturers rarely provide physical component updates unless they are related to a recall. In a notable move, Volvo and Polestar are offering a supercomputer chip upgrade for the EX90 and Polestar 3 EVs at no cost to customers.
Volvo plans to replace its existing chipset with two of Nvidia's latest Drive AGX Orin processors, each capable of approximately 508 trillion operations per second (TOPS). This new setup is eight times more powerful than the current chips and will significantly enhance the AI-based safety features and self-driving capabilities of Volvo and Polestar's electric vehicles. The automakers emphasize that this processing power is essential to fully utilize the array of sensors and self-driving technology incorporated into their cars, including lidar, five radar sensors, eight cameras, and twelve ultrasonic sensors.
This hardware upgrade is made possible by Volvo's Superset tech stack, a unified system of hardware and software that supports all of its electric vehicles. This design facilitates easy upgrades, allowing Volvos already on the road to benefit from new technology as it becomes available.
The Volvo EX90 (left) is a seven-seat electric SUV with a starting price of around $80,000. The Polestar 3 (right) is marketed as "the SUV that drives like a sports car," starting at approximately $68,000. Volvo, Polestar
The first vehicle equipped with the Nvidia AGX Orin chips from the factory will be the Volvo ES90 sedan. Set to debut in a couple of weeks, the ES90 will be Volvo's most advanced model. However, this distinction will be short-lived as Volvo rolls out upgrades for the existing EX90 seven-seat SUV and Polestar 3. Customers will need to bring their vehicles to dealers for the upgrade, but they will leave with significantly enhanced cars at no cost (unless they opt for additional repairs or detailing during the visit). All 2026 model-year EX90s and Polestar 3s will come equipped with the new Orin chipsets right from the factory, ensuring that existing customers also receive the latest upgrades.
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Volvo and Polestar are upgrading electric vehicles with new supercomputer chips at no cost.
The Nvidia Drive AGX Orin processors can perform 508 trillion operations per second and will enhance Volvo's current safety systems.