Volvo Cars will integrate and consolidate a variety of charging functions and payments into its Volvo Cars app, with the ambition of making it an easy-to-use, one-stop-shop for electric Volvo drivers, the company says.
With the Volvo Cars app, pure electric Volvo drivers can find thousands of public charging stations from a range of charging operators, get real-time information on the availability of chargers, and pay for their charging session through one single interface, the company says.
In the United States, the new Volvo Cars app is expected to be rolled out before the end of the year. It is designed to build on the ChargePoint in-car app for U.S.-based Volvo Recharge customers, which allows them to search, navigate and pay for charging at one of over 25,000 charger locations, the company says.
In China, Volvo Cars recently signed agreements with charging point operators Star Charge, State Grid and TELD, who together cover more than 75% of all public charging points in China, the company says. Customers can find charging, start charging by scanning a QR code and pay directly in the Volvo Cars app, through leading payment services including WeChat Pay and Alipay as well as by using V Point.
In Europe, Volvo drivers can choose from over 270,000 charging points following the integration of Plugsurfing into the Volvo Car app, which enables cross-border charging access across the continent, the company says.
Earlier this year, Volvo Cars USA also announced a collaboration with Starbucks in the U.S., where it will install as many as 60 Volvo-branded, ChargePoint-powered DC fast chargers at Starbucks locations. They will be located along a 1,350-mile route from the Denver area to Starbucks’ Seattle headquarters. Plans include a charging location about every 100 miles, within the battery range of Volvo Cars’ pure electric models.