Sweden’s Volvo Cars (VOLCAR-B.ST) is expanding production at its US plant in a move to localize production, deflect tariffs, and build more cars that appeal to buyers in one of its biggest markets. Volvo, wholly owned by China’s Geely, announced on Tuesday that it would bring a fourth vehicle to its production facility located in Ridgeville, S.C. — a next-generation hybrid model designed to meet the “specific demands” of the US market. Volvo offered no details of the new vehicle, but others have surmised ...

Core Insights - ECARX Holdings Inc. has released a white paper detailing the integration of Google Automotive Services (GAS) into its infotainment systems for Volvo EX30 and Polestar 4 vehicles, highlighting a significant reduction in integration time [1][2][7] Group 1: Google Automotive Services Integration - GAS is built on Android Automotive OS and provides essential services like Google Maps, Google Play Store, and Google Assistant, enhancing in-vehicle experiences [2][3] - The integration process typically requires 12-18 months for GAS certification, but ECARX has managed to halve this time through a proactive, test-driven approach [4][5] - The first GAS certification for the Volvo EX30 was completed in 10 months, while the second for the Polestar 4 was achieved in just 8 months [7] Group 2: Technical Innovations - ECARX utilized a dedicated "test farm" to run over 1.6 million automatic test cases, allowing for rapid identification and resolution of issues [6] - The integration of the xTS suite into CI/CD pipelines enabled immediate detection of potential regressions, streamlining the certification process [6] Group 3: Company Overview - ECARX is a global automotive technology provider, offering full-stack solutions for next-generation smart vehicles, including system on a chip (SoC) and central computing platforms [10] - Founded in 2017 and listed on Nasdaq in 2022, ECARX employs over 1,800 people across 12 locations worldwide and has products in over 8.7 million vehicles [11]