Volvo expands its Google partnership to carry new options like Gemini to vehicles sooner

Following the announcement that Gemini is coming to cars, Volvo is utilizing I/O 2025 to announce a brand new expanded partnership with Google. The businesses’ new deal makes Volvo’s vehicles reference {hardware} for future Android Automotive OS growth, and means Volvo drivers shall be “among the many first to profit” when Gemini totally replaces Google Assistant in vehicles.

Volvo describes itself as Google’s “lead growth accomplice for brand spanking new options and updates,” making the corporate’s vehicles the primary to obtain new updates to the Android Automotive OS. Google affords Android Auto as its CarPlay-like answer for beaming a software program interface out of your cellphone to in-car shows, however its Automotive OS is extra full, operating in your car regionally and related to automobile controls for A/C and extra. You may already expertise Android Automotive OS in Volvo’s EX90, for instance.

Google’s present imaginative and prescient for Android in vehicles is, maybe unsurprisingly, centered on getting drivers to speak to Gemini. In a automobile with the assistant, you can ask Gemini to ship a message, pull up instructions, or reply the extra open-ended, pure language questions that Gemini Live is designed to deal with. If it really works as marketed, it appears higher than pecking at a display screen, and Volvo notes it may “assist cut back your cognitive load so as to keep centered on driving.”

There is no launch date for when you’ll be able to anticipate Gemini to indicate up as your driving copilot, however on the very least this new partnership means it will be in Volvos first.