In
a ground-breaking technology move for the automotive industry, Volvo Cars has demonstrated
the world’s first delivery of food to the car – a new form of ‘roam delivery’
services. The service, which will be showcased at the Mobile World Congress in
Barcelona, will allow consumers to have their shopping delivered straight to
their car, no matter where they are.
Volvo’s
new digital keys technology means that car owners will be able to choose their
car as a delivery option when ordering goods online. Via a smartphone or a
tablet, the owner will be informed when a delivery company wants to drop off or
pick up something from the car.
Having
accepted the delivery, he or she then hands out a digital key and can track
when the car is opened and then locked again. Once the pick-up or drop-off is
completed, the digital key ceases to exist. The system is based on the
functionality of the telematics app Volvo On Call, which, among other things,
makes it possible to remotely heat or cool the car and see its position or fuel
level via the mobile phone.
The technology was trialled during a pilot
programme of 100 people, 86pc of which agreed that ‘roam delivery’ saved them
time. The innovative use of ‘digital keys’ will now make it possible to save
time, money and reduce environmental impact, following completion of the first
tests of the concept.
With
connected services such as “roam delivery”, the future car will be much more
than just means of transportation. Earlier this year Volvo Cars launched Sensus
Connect, an integrated on board navigation and infotainment experience. Volvo
Cars’ strategic partnership with Ericsson builds further on the idea of the
Networked Society by examining a host of consumer centric concepts around the
“Connected Vehicle Cloud” that will see the driving experience revolutionized
over the coming years.