Skip to main content

Volvo’s in-car delivery service brings a whole new meaning to ‘living in your car’

Volvo builds some of the safest cars around, but can they keep you safe from the crowds on Black Friday? The Swedish carmaker thinks they can, thanks to a new in-car delivery service it’s trying out in Gothenburg.

Customers participating in the program can have packages delivered to their cars, rather than their houses. The service is being offered in collaboration with communications and logistics company PostNord, as well as online retailers Lekmer.com and Mat.se.

Owners place orders online, and then a delivery person finds their car where’ve it happens to be. A digital key gives the delivery person one-time access to the vehicle so they can drop the package in the trunk. It helps cut down on the inconvenience of holiday shopping, whether online or in-store, Volvo says. It also seems to bring a whole new meaning to the phrase “living in your car.”

The delivery service is only available to Volvo owners in Gothenburg who subscribe to the Volvo On Call telematics service. While it did not specifically discuss plans for the U.S., Volvo said it plans to offer in-car delivery in other parts of Sweden, and in other countries. It will also add more products by making deals with additional companies.

Volvo has been testing in-car delivery for some time, and could reportedly expand the concept to another vital service. A report earlier this year claimed the carmaker might try a fuel-delivery service. This would use similar technology to allow fuel-delivery trucks to find owners’ cars, unlock their fuel-filler caps, and top them off. That would save the trouble of pumping gas, but isn’t that what full service gas stations are for?

In-car delivery is another example of how carmakers are experimenting with ways to move beyond simply building and selling cars. Connected technologies are helping provide alternatives to car ownership, but they could also provide ways for car companies to make money off customers long after they drive away from the dealership.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Harman brings live concerts to your car’s headrest
harman live concerts surround sound car headrest ces 2021 drive  1

It’s still going to be a while before we’re able to safely attend live concerts in the way we’re used to, but Harman has unveiled a solution that might help fill the gap.

As part of its pre-CES presentation, the company announced a new solution that could combine live events with the drive-in movie experience. The Live Interactive Virtual Experience (L.I.V.E.) platform would let concertgoers remain in their vehicles and physically see the artists on stage, while the music is streamed directly to their cars via 5G. The platform would work in conjunction with another Harman announcement, the personal audio headrest platform, which brings 3D spatial audio, surround sound, and two-channel audio directly to individual ears.

Read more
Samsung’s new Smart Monitors bring the TV to your desk without the PC
samsung m5 m7 smart monitor press release dl3f

Capitalizing on the work-from-home era that's been accelerated by the global pandemic, Samsung's new Smart Monitors are designed to help you stay entertained and productive -- all without requiring the power of a PC or desktop. These monitors can be used as a stand-alone panel for video streaming  -- similar to a living room television -- or serve as companions to smartphones and tablets for wireless casting.

While Samsung's new M5 and M7 Smart Monitors function like any other desktop monitor by allowing you to connect a compatible PC or laptop via a USB-C or HDMI cable, these panels also come with built-in Wi-Fi, which enables several new tricks to help them stand out. The M5 and M7 come with smart TV apps borrowed from Samsung's lineup of living room televisions, integrated smart assistant features, and the ability to wirelessly cast to the screen via AirPlay 2 or Samsung DeX.
Watch and stream without a box

Read more
Yale wants to keep your possessions safe with new smart delivery box, lock
yale smart delivery box keeps your packages safe yaledeliverybox kent headon  1

The holiday season is just around corner, and Yale has released two products that are a perfect fit for this time of year: The Yale Smart Delivery Box and the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock. One keeps away porch pirates, while the other locks nosy relatives out of your medicine cabinet.

Package theft is on the rise, particularly as more and more people do their shopping online. The Yale Smart Delivery Box provides customers a way to store packages safely without fear that they will be stolen. This box can be placed outside wherever you commonly receive your packages, and would pair nicely with a well-placed outdoor security camera for added support.

Read more