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Decoder with Nilay Patel

Volvo CEO Jim Rowan thinks dropping CarPlay is a mistake

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Vox Media Podcast Network

Technology, Business

4.33.2K Ratings

🗓️ 14 November 2023

⏱️ 67 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today, I’m talking to Jim Rowan, the CEO of Volvo Cars. Now, Jim’s only been at Volvo for a short time. He took over in 2022 after a decades-long career in the consumer electronics industry. Before Volvo, his two longest stints were at BlackBerry, whose QNX software is used in tons of cars, and then at Dyson, which once tried and failed to make an electric car. Jim and I talked a lot about how that unique experience has influenced how he thinks about the transformational changes happening in the world of cars. For Volvo, the stakes are high. The company has pledged to be all-electric by the end of the decade, and Jim is also making some very different bets on software and revenue than the rest of the car industry. Jim’s view is that automakers are undergoing three major shifts all at once: electrification, autonomy, and direct-to-consumer sales. With Volvo, Jim is trying to steer the ship through these changes and come out an EV-only carmaker on the other end. Links: Volvo plans to sell only electric cars by 2030 Volvo’s EX90 is a powerful computer that also happens to be an impeccably designed EV Can Polestar design a new kind of car company? The EV transition trips over its own cord Volvo’s upcoming EVs join the Tesla Supercharger bandwagon Future Volvo cars to run on Volvo operating system Audi and Volvo will use Android as the operating system in upcoming cars Volvo’s first EV will run native Android The rest of the auto industry still loves CarPlay and Android Auto The future of cars is a subscription nightmare Everybody hates GM’s decision to kill Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for its EVs Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23722862 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Support for Decoder comes from Amazon ads.

0:02.6

If you're a small business owner, you can now advertise to Amazon audiences with sponsored display ads.

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They use the power of Amazon's billions of shopping, streaming, and browsing signals

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to reach customers across thousands of websites and

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apps. Then, Amazon ads sends them straight to you. That means the businesses that aren't

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selling in the Amazon store can still reach Amazon shoppers. Now you can get a $500 credit to help

0:24.7

you reach Amazon customers. Visit advertising. Amazon.com slash start now for

0:30.6

terms and conditions.

0:36.1

Hello and welcome to Decoder. I'm Neely Patel editor and chief of The Verge and

0:38.4

Decoder is my show about big ideas and other problems.

0:41.8

Today I'm talking to Jim Rowan, the CEO of Volvo Cars.

0:45.2

Now, Jim's only been at Volvo for a short time.

0:47.7

He took over in 2022 after a decades long career

0:51.0

in the consumer electronics industry.

0:53.0

Before Voldo, his two longest stints were at Blackberry,

0:56.0

whose Q&X software is used in tons of cars,

0:59.0

and then at Dyson, which once tried and failed to make an electric car.

1:04.0

Shim and I talked a lot about how that unique experience has influenced how he thinks about the

1:08.2

transformational changes happening in the world of cars.

1:11.8

For Volvo, the stakes are high. The company has pledged to be

1:14.9

all electric by the end of the decade and Jim is also making some very different bets on

1:19.6

software and revenue than the rest of the car industry.

...

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