Polestar Deploys P2.0 Software Update Based On Android R

Volvo's EV affiliate Polestar has announced an over the air (OTA) update for Polestar 2 owners which will now give them Android Automotive based on the Android R update. The update brings enhanced app functionality which developers will need to build in to their apps. The entire roll out of the update will happen incrementally starting this month - April 2022. 

The enhancements are downloaded and installed remotely allowing Polestar 2 owners to have better performance from the infotainment system and will allow for greater personalisation. This major update comes on the back of 10 updates that were a combination of bug fixes and more than 100 other improvements. 

Polestar has averaged an OTA update every 7 weeks. One of the more recent updates included drivetrain enhancements, the ability to schedule charging times and improvements to the digital key. There have also been enhancements towards the climate control system and real world range with battery optimisations,and preconditioning. 

Volvo and Polestar are amongst the first adopters of Android Automotive 

More than 90 percent of the Polestar 2 owners have installed OTA updates. Recently, Vivaldi also introduced its web browser to the Polestar 2 which also became the first web browser for Android Automotive. There is also a video player and A Better Routeplanner with more than 12,000 downloads each as of March 2022. 

"Our approach to software technology in our cars is that it should not be any different from how the latest software is pushed out on smartphones and computers in everyday life. With OTA updates, our customers receive constant enhancements and can choose when to install the latest updates, without making a trip to a workshop. We're very encouraged by the positive response as seen from the exponential growth in the number of OTA installations, and will continue to deliver ongoing enhancements," said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar's CEO. 

It recently has added a partnership with Hertz that will be purchasing 65,000 vehicles from it over 5 years.