In the lead-up to the reveal of the new EX60 on January 21st, Volvo Cars has been previewing some of its key innovations with Futurride. The automaker says its electric mid-size SUV will be its most intelligent and technologically advanced car to date, and will be packed with state-of-the-art, AI-powered technology that helps to make the lives of customers easier, safer, more convenient, and simply more enjoyable.

It will be the first Volvo to launch with Gemini, Google‘s new AI assistant. As a result, the automaker promises that customers will be able to have a true natural conversation with the new EV.

“The new EX60 is full of human-centric technology designed to enhance your life behind the wheel,” said Anders Bell, Chief Engineering and Technology Officer at Volvo Cars. “HuginCore, our state-of-the-art system of hardware and software, combines our in-house developed technology with the best services and technologies from tech leaders such as Google, Nvidia, and Qualcomm Technologies. It creates discreet yet cutting-edge tech that works quietly in the background to support you.”

Gemini can provide hands-free control of many functions. It is highly personalized and deeply integrated with the car and allows management of complex tasks through multi-turn conversation without having to remember specific commands.

Drivers can stay focused on the drive, reducing the need to look at the central display. For example, they can ask Gemini to find a hotel booking address in their email, check if a recently bought item fits in their EX60 trunk, or brainstorm ideas for an upcoming road trip.

As Volvo Cars continues to integrate Gemini deeper within the car’s systems, it will unlock new possibilities. In time, Gemini will be able to use the EX60’s cameras to see what you see and answer questions about the world around you.

All Volvo cars with Google Built-in will be updated with Gemini and Gemini Live in a future update.

The EX60 contains the latest iteration of HuginCore, the core E/E system newly named after the bird in Norse mythology that empowers the vehicle to think, process, and act. It encompasses the in-house developed electrical architecture, core computer, zone controllers, and software inside the EX60—dubbed “a true software-defined car.” Like all new Volvo cars, the EX60 will benefit from regular over-the-air updates enabled by Volvo’s Superset tech stack, a smart software foundation.

Volvo says that HuginCore embodies its approach to human-centric technology, combining in-house development and tech-leader collaborations. It enables continuous improvement of Volvo cars via over-the-air updates and is meant to reinforce the company’s safety leadership position.

HuginCore helps to take the EX60 to new levels of safety, as it constantly reads and assesses the world around the car through its array of sensors to provide a clear and precise understanding of its surroundings. The deeper awareness allows the EX60 to better support drivers in real time.

It helps them anticipate danger sooner, avoid potential risks, and react calmly and confidently when the unexpected happens. It is designed to make every journey safer, more reassuring, and less stressful, enabling highly advanced driver assistance features.

The AI-powered features on the EX60 require advanced computing power.

Qualcomm supplies its next-generation advanced SoC (system-on-chip) Snapdragon Cockpit Platform and Snapdragon Auto Connectivity Platform, the latter providing continuous and ultra-responsive connectivity so customers can make the most of their four years of complimentary unlimited data. In this seamless and no-lag infotainment system, screens respond quickly, maps load instantly, voice assistants understand passengers better, and everything feels smooth.

Nvidia contributes accelerated computing powered by its Drive AGX Orin system-on-a-chip, which runs on the safety-certified DriveOS operating system. The EX60 is said to be capable of over 250 trillion operations per second. Drawing upon experiences from other Volvo cars globally, including accidents and near-misses, to keep improving over time.

As a result of its vast processing power, the EX60 offers the most responsive user experience in any Volvo car to date, helping customers keep their focus on the road.

On the powertrain side, the EX60 goes further on a charge than any electric Volvo car before.

It can go up to 400 mi (644 km) on a charge in an all-wheel drive configuration, beating even its most recently revealed competitors. The preliminary range figures are derived from estimates performed by Volvo Cars based on EPA testing cycles, with official EPA range estimates to be released later. The EX60 can also add up to 173 mi (278 km) of range in just 10 min when using a 400-kW fast charger.

“The EX60 is designed to be a game-changer,” added Bell. “With our new electric vehicle architecture, we directly address the main worries that customers have when considering a switch to a fully electric car. The result is class-leading range and fast charging speeds, marking the end of range anxiety.”

The key to the class-leading range is SPA3, Volvo Cars’ most advanced electric car architecture to date. The fast charging speeds are made possible by Volvo Cars’ new 800-V electrical system and in-house developed software, which together move energy into the battery more efficiently.

The use of lighter materials and less heat generation supports faster charging times. Algorithms developed by Volvo Cars’ portfolio company Breathe Battery Technologies allow the car to constantly adjust how the battery takes in power, keeping it in its ideal operating zone at all times and in all weather conditions.

Integrating the battery directly into the structure of the car with cell-to-body technology and developing e-motors in-house makes the EX60 more energy efficient and cuts excessive weight. The new cell design of the battery carefully balances energy density and power delivery to further increase driving range.

The EX60 will be the first Volvo car to use the megacasting build technique, consolidating hundreds of smaller parts with a single, high-precision casting in the production process.