Volvo XC40 Recharge electric SUVs are currently being held at U.S. ports because the company is waiting to send a crucial software update before releasing them to customers and dealers, The Verge Learned.
The problem seems to be that these XC40 Recharge SUVs – which is Volvo’s first all-electric vehicle – left the company factory without the Volvo On Call software enabled. Volvo On Call is a subscription service that connects Volvo cars to the owner’s smartphone, allowing them to remotely start and stop the vehicle, lock or unlock the doors and access diagnostic information.
One customer, who was due to receive his XC40 refill at the end of February, said The Verge Your dealer’s best guess is that your SUV may not be able to leave Newark, New Jersey until mid-April.
“[Y]our recharge reached Port Newark. However, at this point the delivery of your XC40 Recharge will be delayed because the Volvo On Call system is not yet functional due to a software problem, ”says a Volvo corporate customer service email sent in mid-February and seen per The Verge. “We are waiting for news from Volvo Sweden about the final updates for the cars in the ports.”
It is unclear how many XC40 Recharge SUVs are currently stuck waiting for the software fix. But customers on Volvo’s forums shared similar messages and reported cars stuck in ports in New York, Maryland and California. Some buyers, especially in Europe, reported the delivery of the vehicle, which started to roll off Volvo’s production line last year.
Russell Datz, Volvo’s national media relations manager for the United States market, did not answer specific questions about the apparent delay and software problem. “The delivery schedule for the XC40 Recharge to US customers has not changed from the original schedule for the first quarter of 2021,” he wrote in an email.
Last week, Volvo released the first over-the-air software update for existing XC40 customers that included “new basic software for the car’s major electronic systems, an increase in loading speed and improved range”, as well as an unspecified “major security-related propulsion bug fix”. Datz declined to say whether this is related to Volvo On Call not working on XC40 SUVs currently stuck in ports.
“[A] The new Volvo is no longer at its best when it leaves the factory, but continues to improve over time, as additional OTA updates are released, ”wrote the company in the press release.
Volvo is far from the first automaker to have problems with its first mass-market electric vehicle, let alone problems with software. Volkswagen’s first mass-produced EV, the ID 3, was delayed in 2020 and then finally released with incomplete software. Other automakers have faced much more serious problems, such as General Motors and Hyundai, which recently accounted for reports of fire in their EV batteries.