Volvo EX60 1st Drive and Interviews with Lindsay Tingström and Florian Mockenhaupt, CUPRA Raval 1st Drive and Interview with Toni Gallego, Ford Ireland Supports Irish Tradespeople and Opel Ireland launches Mokka GSE

The Volvo EX60 is Volvo’s new electric SUV built around a software-first architecture, which is why the hosts spend time on its platform and computing hardware. In this segment they describe multiple drive/safety configurations (including rear- vs all-wheel drive) and battery/range options, plus practical packaging like boot space and towing capability.

The Cupra Raval is an electric-focused model from the CUPRA brand, and the hosts frame it as a key first-drive topic for the episode. They mention they went to Barcelona to drive it, indicating it’s being evaluated as a new product with notable design and driving impressions.

Barcelona is a major city in Spain, and in this episode it’s where the hosts went to drive the Cupra Raval. Automakers often use specific international locations for press drives to control routes, weather, and logistics.

Waterford is a city in Ireland, and the hosts say their Nevo driving experience took place there. It’s relevant because it anchors where listeners could see/experience the Opel and other EVs mentioned in the episode.

A software-defined platform means the car’s key functions are controlled by software and computing hardware rather than being mostly fixed by traditional mechanical design. That typically enables faster feature updates, more configurable driving/driver-assistance behavior, and easier integration of new services over time.

SPI3 is the platform name Volvo uses for this generation of electric vehicle architecture. In the context of the segment, it’s presented as the underlying “base” that supports the EX60’s software-defined approach and its computing/driver-assistance stack.

“NVIDIA Drive” refers to NVIDIA’s automotive computing platform used for tasks like perception (seeing the road), sensor fusion, and advanced driver-assistance functions. The hosts mention it as part of the EX60’s in-car compute stack, implying significant processing power for safety and automation features.

In this context, “AGX” is shorthand for NVIDIA’s automotive-grade computing hardware (often referred to as NVIDIA DRIVE AGX). It’s designed to run complex perception and driving-assistance workloads in real time.

A “CPU” is the car’s main processing unit, and Qualcomm is a well-known semiconductor company that supplies automotive electronics. Mentioning a specific CPU model (8255) signals the EX60 uses defined, high-performance compute hardware to run software features and vehicle systems.

Pilot Assist Plus is Volvo’s driver-assistance feature set, focused on helping with steering and maintaining driving behavior. The segment frames it as a safety system offered in different “flavors” (P6, P10, P12), implying different capability levels or hardware/software configurations.

P6 is one of the EX60’s “Pilot Assist Plus” configuration levels mentioned by the hosts. They tie P6 to a specific range figure (620 km in the segment) and describe it as the version they were driving.

P10 is another “Pilot Assist Plus” configuration level for the Volvo EX60. The hosts associate it with a higher range estimate (660 km) compared with P6 in the segment.

P12 is the third “Pilot Assist Plus” configuration level mentioned for the Volvo EX60. The hosts specifically say P12 is an all-wheel-drive version, and they also note that P10 is all-wheel drive as well.

All-wheel drive (AWD) means the car can send power to both the front and rear axles. The segment uses it to distinguish EX60 configurations (P10 and P12) from the rear-wheel-drive P6 version.

Rear-wheel drive (RWD) means the car’s drive power goes to the rear wheels only. In this segment, the hosts use RWD to describe the EX60 P6 configuration, contrasting it with the AWD P10/P12 setups.

Usable battery size is the portion of the battery’s total capacity that the car can actually use for driving, not the full physical capacity. The hosts connect it to the EX60’s top range claim (810 km) and describe it as 112 kWh usable.

The segment gives a cargo volume figure of 523 liters for the EX60’s boot. This is a practical packaging metric that helps listeners compare how much luggage and gear the car can carry.

Towing capacity is the maximum weight the vehicle is rated to pull behind it. The hosts say the Volvo EX60 can tow between 2.0 and 2.4 tons, which matters for trailers, caravans, and heavier gear hauling.

“Boot” is the UK term for the trunk/cargo area at the back of the car. The hosts use it to describe the EX60’s cargo volume and how it changes when the seats are folded.

A frunk is the front trunk space in an electric car (or some other vehicles) where the engine would normally sit. It’s useful because EVs can free up space in the front for storage.

“10 to 80%” is a common EV charging test window that measures how quickly an EV can add usable battery charge. Charging often slows as the battery gets fuller, so this range is used to compare real-world fast-charging capability.

“Presets” here likely refers to stored driver/seat belt-related settings or configurations that can be recalled quickly. Going from three to eleven suggests more personalization and faster setup for different drivers.

Google is the tech company behind Gemini AI, which the speaker says is integrated into the Volvo EX60. In this context, Google is important because it’s the source of the AI capability being used inside the car.

A multi-turn conversation is an AI dialogue where the system keeps context across multiple back-and-forth exchanges. That matters in cars because it can reduce repeated instructions and make the interaction feel more like talking to a person.

“Exterior cameras” are cameras mounted on the outside of the vehicle used to observe the road scene and surroundings. In driver-assistance systems, they can also be used to infer context (like what the driver is likely seeing) and to support features such as warnings and guidance.

“Parking cameras” are vehicle cameras used at low speeds to help you see obstacles around the car—especially when maneuvering in tight spaces. They typically provide a live video view (often with guidelines) to reduce blind-spot risk while parking.

“Driver distraction” refers to behaviors that pull attention away from the road, such as looking away too long or not monitoring the driving environment. In modern cars, camera-based systems can estimate distraction by tracking where the driver’s eyes and head are directed.

“Fatigued” here means the system is detecting driver tiredness—often by monitoring eye openness, blink rate, and how long the driver looks away. When the car estimates fatigue, it can prompt the driver to take a break.

In this context, “algorithms” are the computer rules/models that process camera and sensor data to detect situations like driver fatigue or distraction. The goal is to make the alerts timely and not overly sensitive, so the car feels helpful rather than annoying.

The Volvo EX90 is an all-electric, three-row SUV built around advanced driver-assistance technology, including LiDAR sensors. It’s significant because Volvo is using the EX90 to showcase how its safety and automation features are evolving. It may come up in discussion around sensor design and how those components affect packaging and vehicle layout.

ES90 is mentioned alongside EX90 as a Volvo EV that would have had a LiDAR bump. The segment uses it to explain a shift in sensor hardware strategy—moving away from that specific LiDAR placement.

“Full self-driving” here is used as a goal for automated driving capability, but the hosts emphasize it’s not immediate. They frame it as a staged rollout that only proceeds when it’s “completely safe,” reflecting a cautious approach to autonomy.

Cognitive load is the mental effort required to process information while driving. The EX60 discussion focuses on reducing cognitive load by presenting data in a way that helps drivers understand what matters and what doesn’t.

The “Hugon core system” is described as the underlying software platform that powers the EX60’s in-car data and user experience. In this segment, it’s tied to how information is displayed and how the system manages alerts and driver interaction.

UX principles (user experience principles) are design guidelines for how people interact with a system—here, the car’s screens and alerts. The segment emphasizes safe display of information and clear differentiation between what needs attention versus what can wait.

A landscape screen is a wide, horizontal display layout used for the vehicle’s central infotainment area. The hosts say this format provides more “real estate,” meaning more usable screen space for features like climate controls.

Los Angeles is referenced as the location of EX90’s global launch event. The hosts use it as a timeline marker for when they first saw the camera behavior at slower speeds.

“Secondary living space” is the idea that the vehicle’s cabin can function like an extra room for activities when you’re not actively driving. The speaker frames it as a use case in some markets—like working or even napping—so the interior design focuses on calm, welcoming comfort.

Ambient light refers to interior lighting designed to set the mood rather than provide direct illumination for tasks. Here it’s discussed as a customizable feature (with many possible colors/scenes), but the speaker emphasizes that the brand wants to avoid overwhelming or distracting the driver.

“High fidelity” (hi-fi) means the system aims to reproduce audio with high accuracy and detail. When paired with spatial audio, it suggests the car’s sound system is designed to deliver both directionality and more true-to-source sound quality.

Headrests can integrate speakers so passengers can hear audio more directly and with better spatial placement. The transcript describes turning speakers on/off in each headrest, implying a multi-zone audio setup.

Dolby is a company known for audio and video technologies, including surround-sound and spatial-audio processing. In car audio, Dolby processing can help encode/decode content so it plays back with more directional cues.

Bose is an audio brand known for speaker and sound-processing technologies. When mentioned as a car audio partner, it typically indicates the vehicle’s sound system uses Bose-designed components and/or tuning to improve clarity and surround effects.

A tweeter is a small speaker designed to reproduce high-frequency sounds like cymbals and vocal “air.” The mention of a tweeter opening the windscreen points to a car audio design where speaker elements are physically deployed or positioned for better high-frequency output.

OEMs are Original Equipment Manufacturers—the companies that build the vehicles themselves. The transcript uses OEMs to describe how automakers focus on core vehicle attributes (like safety and performance) while partnering for specialized tech like audio and software.

CarPlay is Apple’s in-car interface that lets you use an iPhone through the vehicle’s infotainment system. The transcript ties it to customer preferences, implying the car supports Apple’s ecosystem alongside premium audio partners.

Bowers and Wilkins (often abbreviated B&W) is a premium speaker brand associated with high-end home and car audio. In this context, it’s being used as an example of a specialized audio partner whose hardware/tuning can improve the car’s sound experience.

Apple Music is a streaming music service. The transcript’s point is that the car’s audio experience depends not just on the hardware, but also on what’s being played through it (streaming source and audio quality).

Bluetooth is a wireless connection used to stream audio from a phone to the car’s infotainment system. The hosts mention pairing phones via Bluetooth to play music, contrasting it with using Apple Music with Dolby Atmos for a higher-end audio experience.

“Over-the-air” (OTA) updates are software changes delivered to the car wirelessly, like downloading updates to a phone. Here, the discussion ties OTA to the EX60 being “software defined,” meaning features and even interface behavior can evolve across years of updates.

An operating system (OS) is the core software that manages the car’s hardware and runs the user interface and apps. The segment highlights a “fractured ecosystem” problem—different phones and OS versions can lead to different experiences—so the update and feature strategy must account for compatibility.

Opt-in means a customer must explicitly choose to enable a particular feature or update, rather than receiving it automatically. The hosts discuss how this matters for OTA rollout strategy—balancing what gets shipped to everyone versus what should be offered as optional.

“Fleet-wide” here means managing software updates and feature availability across many vehicles of the same brand, not just one car. The challenge is coordinating different user preferences (opt-in/opt-out) and different software states so updates don’t create inconsistent behavior across the customer base.

UI (user interface) is the way the driver interacts with the car—menus, icons, touch controls, and on-screen layouts. The hosts discuss designing a consistent UI experience across different screen sizes and hardware so drivers don’t feel disoriented in Volvo’s electric cars.

The Volvo EX30 is a compact electric SUV that’s used here as an example of how Volvo harmonizes the in-car user experience across its lineup. The host is describing a consistent look and feel from the EX30 up through larger EX models, even if the exact screens and layouts differ.

“Onboarding over life cycle” refers to guiding a driver through setup and learning not just at the moment of purchase, but across the vehicle’s ownership period. In this segment, it’s tied to personalization and the ability to set things up gradually rather than all at once.

A software-defined vehicle is one where major functions and features are controlled primarily by software rather than fixed hardware. That enables updates and personalization over time, and it’s central to how the host describes onboarding and the mobile-app-to-car experience.

The mobile app is used as part of the connected-vehicle workflow, letting drivers manage setup and personalization between their phone and the car. In this segment, it’s part of the “harmonize” strategy so the car and phone feel like one continuous experience.

In this context, a “profile” is a personalized driver identity that stores preferences like seat position and other settings. The host describes connecting a key to a profile so the car can automatically adjust when you enter.

The Volvo EX-60 is Volvo’s first vehicle built on the SPI 3 platform, and it uses a mega casting approach for the rear underbody. That combination is aimed at improving efficiency—here, they cite a drag coefficient of 0.65—while still keeping the upright, SUV-like stance.

Drag coefficient is a number that describes how easily air resists a vehicle’s motion; lower values generally mean less aerodynamic drag. The speaker cites a drag coefficient of 0.65 for the Volvo EX-60, tying it to improved efficiency while keeping an SUV shape.

“Finger gap” is an aerodynamic design feature that describes the small clearance between the wheel and the body. The goal is to manage airflow so the air can reattach smoothly around the wheel area instead of creating extra turbulence and drag.

An “arrow bridge” (as described here) is a small aerodynamic element that bridges into the wheel opening. It helps guide airflow so the air coming from the front can reattach to the wheel area, reducing turbulence-related drag.

“Turbulence” is chaotic, swirling airflow that increases aerodynamic drag. The speaker notes that wheels are especially tricky because they disturb airflow and generate turbulence, which aerodynamics engineers try to minimize.

An “aerodynamic separation edge” is a shaped edge that controls where airflow separates from the body. By managing separation around the rear spoiler/deck lid area, it aims to reduce vortex formation and improve aerodynamic efficiency.

A “vortex” is a swirling pocket of air created when airflow separates from the car’s surfaces. In this context, the speaker says a triangular void can generate a vortex behind the car, which increases drag and worsens the wake.

The “dead water area” refers to the low-movement wake region behind the vehicle where airflow is turbulent and slow. Reducing this wake helps lower aerodynamic drag and improves efficiency.

A “sleek underbody” means the bottom of the car is shaped to reduce airflow disruption under the vehicle. The speaker specifically describes a closed underbody surface, which helps reduce underbody turbulence and aerodynamic drag.

A “combustion engine vehicle” is a car that generates power by burning fuel in an engine (as opposed to using an electric motor). The speaker is discussing whether future efficiency gains from aerodynamics will matter more for EVs or for combustion cars too.

Diesel is an internal-combustion fuel type that typically uses compression ignition rather than spark ignition. The speaker mentions it to compare how aerodynamic turbulence affects drag on combustion-engine vehicles.

In this context, efficiency means how effectively a vehicle converts stored energy into motion with minimal losses. For BEVs, efficiency improvements across the battery, electric motor, and aerodynamics translate directly into better range and lower energy consumption.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) run on electricity stored in a battery pack and use electric motors for propulsion. Because they don’t burn fuel, their range and efficiency are strongly affected by energy losses like aerodynamic drag and drivetrain efficiency.

Mega casting is a manufacturing method where very large structural parts (often for the vehicle body) are made from a single or fewer castings instead of many smaller pieces. Fewer parts can reduce weight and cost, and it can also open up new design packaging options because there’s less need to work around complex structures.

An SBA3 platform refers to a shared vehicle architecture used to build multiple models with common underlying design and engineering. Platform changes can affect packaging, structural layout, and manufacturing approach—like enabling mega casting and influencing how the rear structure is arranged for styling.

Battery control units are electronics that manage how an EV battery is used and protected. In this segment, they’re described as being located at the end of the battery pack, and the speaker ties their placement to the overall packaging efficiency enabled by the new manufacturing approach. Proper placement helps optimize space and integration with other underbody components.

Shock absorbers (dampers) control how the suspension moves over bumps by resisting spring motion. The speaker mentions packaging shock absorbers to the rear wheels and underbody, implying the new structural approach changes where these components can fit. That can affect ride tuning and how much space is available for battery and other hardware.

“Low front philosophy” refers to a design direction that lowers the hood line and front profile to improve aerodynamics. The speaker connects it to how the EX60 communicates an EV identity visually, while also trying not to make the car look too low. They also mention bumper and protective trim choices that influence the car’s perceived stance and center-of-gravity impression.

“Exterior design perspective” here means designing lighting as part of the car’s outer visual language, not just as safety equipment. The host describes using light to shape how the car “reads” to people—like defining a luminous space around surfaces and features. This is a design approach where lighting is treated as a styling element with functional goals.

Welcome and goodbye animations are programmed lighting sequences that play when you approach or leave the car. They’re used to create a more expressive, “lively” user experience while also reinforcing the car’s identity through consistent light behavior. Here, they’re tied to the Scandinavian design emphasis on light.

A headlamp and tail-lamp signature is the recognizable “shape” of a car’s lights—how the LEDs and light elements are arranged and animated. Automakers use these signatures so the car is identifiable at a glance, even from a distance. In this segment, it’s also tied to practical visibility in poor weather.

“Thor’s hammer” is a well-known Volvo lighting motif: a distinctive headlamp shape that resembles a hammer. It functions as an identifying brand signature, making Volvos easier to recognize. In this segment, it’s presented as something Volvo keeps because it’s already achieved iconic status.

The Volvo 850 is referenced as the earlier model where Volvo first introduced the vertical tail-lamp concept. The discussion ties that design choice to Gothenburg weather and fog, where improved visibility helps drivers spot cars ahead. It’s a bit of design lineage: a safety-driven lighting idea that later shows up on newer Volvos like the EX60.

Puddle lights are exterior lights that project illumination onto the ground near the door area. The host explains a design change: moving the puddle light from the door handle to the rocker so it remains visible even when the door is opened and the handle-mounted light would otherwise go out.

In car bodywork, the rocker is the lower side panel that runs along the bottom edge of the doors and connects the front and rear sections of the body. Mounting puddle lights in the rocker keeps them positioned correctly relative to the ground even as the door moves.

A “grill-less front” refers to deleting the traditional radiator grille area found on many gasoline/diesel cars. The host explains the rationale for the EX60: EVs don’t need the same front cooling airflow, and removing the grille helps the car’s aerodynamic shape.

An auxiliary headlamp is an additional lighting unit used alongside the main headlamp assembly. The host explains Volvo split the lighting into two parts so the main lamp’s “Thor’s hammer” outline is visible even when the car is off, while the auxiliary unit supports the overall lighting design and packaging.

Matrix LED headlamps use many individually controlled LED segments so the car can shape the light beam. The host ties this to the EX60’s “extremely progressive and high performing” lighting system, emphasizing that the main headlamp unit is large and needs packaging that preserves the desired shape.

Residual value is the estimated worth of a car later in time (often used in leasing and resale expectations). The speaker claims Volvo’s carefully curated paint colors help the EX60 score well in residual value because many buyers prefer those color tones.

Resell value is the price you can reasonably expect when selling the car to the next owner. In this segment it’s tied to color choice: the speaker argues that unusual color combinations can be harder to sell, while the EX60’s curated palette is more broadly appealing.

“Light catchers” are styling features on a car’s body designed to catch and reflect light in a noticeable way. The speaker says the EX60 has less of the traditional, dramatic “flicks and light catchers” than earlier generations, resulting in a more subtle, less contrasty look.

SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) is Volvo’s modular vehicle platform strategy used to underpin multiple models. Here, the speaker compares the EX60’s design/surface approach to earlier SPA generations, saying the newer styling is less dependent on dramatic highlight lines.

“SCV” is used as an acronym for Volvo’s concept of a “Scalable Car Vehicle” (a platform/vehicle strategy), tying the design goals to a real-world, everyday-focused SUV. In this context, it contrasts with chasing styling/aero numbers alone.