Volvo updates On Call app to include driving pattern data for plug-in model owners

Volvo has updated its On Call smartphone app to allow drivers of plug-in hybrid models from the Swedish firm’s range to see how their vehicles are using electricity.

The changes, which are brought as part of a wide-sweeping update to the app, allows the driver to see how far they’ve been driving on electric power alone, as well as their overall electricity and fuel consumption. Volvo says that later this year the app will also allow owners to see the impact of their driving on their CO2 impact, as well as the amount of money they’ve saved by driving in electric mode.

Ödgärd Andersson, chief digital officer at Volvo, said: “We want the Volvo On Call app to make life easier for you as a user and create a more personal experience.

“As the car becomes ever more connected, the potential of the app increases and we intend over time for the app to be as much a part of the Volvo as the car itself.”

The app functionalities are available for owners of all Volvo plug-in hybrid models built on the firm’s latest platforms sold after 2015. It’s yet another step by the firm to enhance its EV presence, and is another step towards its target of making 50 per cent of its global sales completely electric by 2025.

Björn Annwall, head of EMEA at Volvo Cars, said: “Just like a step counter helps people exercise more, I believe that by giving people better insight into their driving patterns, it will help them to drive in a more sustainable way.

“We see plug-in hybrids as ‘part time electric cars’ that encourage changes in people’s behaviour and help pave the way for a transition towards fully electric cars.”