Volvo, a Chinese-Swedish company owned by Geely Group, will develop a new plug-in hybrid SUV codenamed V446 exclusively for the Chinese market. The new hybrid vehicle is co-developed with Meizu and Geely and will start mass-production in early 2025 at Volvoβs Taizhou plant, domestic media reports.
Volvo V446 will be based on one of the existing Lynk & Co SUV plug-in hybrid models, and the software and hardware development is led mainly by the Volvo China R&D team, Autopix notes.
Despite not mentioning which model it will be based on, CarNewsChina expects it will be Lynk & Co 08, and it will use its EM-P PHEV technology, sitting on the CMA 2 platform, which is familiar to Volvo as its older version underpins the XC40. Also, unlike the EV-only SPA 2 platform, CMA 2 supports a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Meizu and EcarX will develop the cockpit software for the new Volvo V446. Meizu is a smartphone maker acquired by Geely in July 2022, and EcarX is a Geely-backed automotive technology company.
Meizuβs in-cabin software Flyme Auto is currently used in 17 models from Geely Group, including Lynk & Co 08, Geely Galaxy series, and Polestar. Meizu claims 62,000 cars equipped with Flyme were sold in October, with Lynk & Co being the main contributor.
This would be Volvoβs first cooperation with Meizu. The report notes that despite both companies belonging to the Geely Group, the cooperation doesnβt go smoothly.
Volvo doesnβt want to use Flyme Auto directly like Lynk & Co or Geely Galaxy but insists on making some modifications and adaptations to make it βfeel more like a Volvo.β Volvo Asia Pacific (Volvoβs Chinese unit) dedicated many cockpit SW designers to cooperating with EcarX to complete the Flyme Auto adjustments.
βWe most likely wonβt see the Flyme Auto logo on the new Volvo cars, despite being powered by itβ, Autopix cites Volvo China insider. However, it will open doors for Meizu to implement its in-cabin SW in more Volvo cars in China, concludes.
And there are more struggles. Volvoβs software development is still conducted by the European team in Sweden, which creates even more challenges. A senior official from Volvo Asia Pacificβs R&D system revealed that the European software team typically takes about a week to deliver a revised version after receiving feedback. βThis is significantly slower compared to the turnaround time of domestic software teamsβ, he complained to Autopix. Additionally, the nearly seven-hour time difference between China and Sweden further hampers communication efficiency.
Lynk & Co 08 EM-P (see all specs) is a mid-size PHEV SUV with dimensions 4820/1915/1685 mm and a wheelbase of 2848 mm. The top trim level is an AWD five-seater with a 40 kWh NMC battery from CATL and a combined range of 1,200 km CLTC. It has power of 316 kW (585 hp) and 905 Nm peak torque. The price in China starts at 178,800 yuan (24,700 USD).
