Android Auto, and now Android Automotive have both made a slow start to life in the real world. We are now seeing a lot of cars now incorporate Android Auto into their infotainment systems but the next iteration, Android Automotive has not had a production date, until now.
Volvo have announced that they will be bringing Android Automotive in their mid-sized electric car, the Polestar 2, set to begin production in 2020. The Polestar 2 will be Volvo’s first fully electric car set to compete with the Tesla Model 3 on price and features.
While the full specs and details of the Polestar 2 are yet to be revealed it will have a range of around 300 miles (around 500km) and at the same time sport approximately 400 HP.
OK Google turn the temperature down two degrees
The included Android Automotive, now termed Google Android HMI is an in-built Google Assistant to run the car. The entire HVAC system and infotainment system are run by Android and Google Assistant with the Google Android HMI having it’s own Play Store — at this stage it is unclear where the data required to stream media will come from but we suspect that the car will arrive with a SIM onboard.
Although the Volvo Polestar 2 is unlikely to make it here to Australia, given our lack of support by our government for cleaner technologies and the slow update of electric vehicles in Australia, it is great to see Android Automotive finally (well, in 2020) make it into a production vehicle. Others, including cars from Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi, are set to follow not long after — hopefully we will see some arrive here.
Would a car having Android Automotive sway you in your next vehicle purchase?
