News, Technology

Amazon and Volvo to get packages delivered to your car whilst you are busy at meetings

Amazon now delivers packages to your Volvo car, yes, that is right. Busy at work or have a job that makes you unable to receive your Amazon package? Have no fear, Amazon will deliver your packages straight to your Volvo at your convenience.

The concept has moved on from homes towards cars and it uses the same concept. When Amazon purchased a smart-doorbell company for almost a billion dollars, everyone was wonder was it an IoT push or what was the strategic sense. Amazon wanted to improve their customer’s experience, such that the doorbells and smart locks can recognize delivery people and let them into your home to drop off packages.

Volvo Cars adds in-car delivery by Amazon Key to its expanding range of connected services

The same goes for cars, most of the time people’s cars are at garages or a parking structure and it sits there idle for almost the entire day. Now Amazon is going to leverage on that together with Volvo.

The collaboration represents a considerable scaling-up and maturing of Volvo’s digital consumer services via the Volvo On Call service platform, available via an easy-to-use app on your smartphone. These and other services will change the way Volvo customers interact with their car.

The service is available now across 37 cities and surrounding areas in the United States, with more cities rolling out over time. The service is available to millions of Amazon Prime members and the majority of all Volvo owners in the country.

“Simplifying the customer experience is central to Volvo’s digital vision. Receiving a package securely and reliably in your car, without you having to be there, is something we think many people will appreciate. This mix of car and commerce is starting the next wave of innovation and we intend to be at the forefront,” said Atif Rafiq, chief digital officer at Volvo Cars.

The in-car delivery service is easy and convenient. Customers download the Amazon Key App and link their Amazon account with their Volvo On Call account. Once setup is complete and a delivery location is registered, customers can shop on Amazon.com and select the “In-Car” delivery option at checkout.

The Amazon Key and Volvo On Call apps will notify customers when the delivery is about to happen. On the day of delivery, customers should park within range of their delivery address and a delivery driver will deliver the package during the scheduled time window.  Customers will be notified when the delivery is completed and the car is safely locked.

Volvo Cars adds in-car delivery by Amazon Key to its expanding range of connected services

“We’re excited to partner with Volvo Cars to bring Amazon Key in-car delivery to our customers across the U.S. Starting today, Prime members can order tens of millions of items sold on Amazon.com and have them delivered to their car, at no extra cost,” said Peter Larsen, Vice President of Delivery Technology, Amazon. “With Amazon Key In-Car, we’re fuelling another convenient and secure way to get packages to our customers—and we know our customers are going to love it.”

“We have offered in-car delivery in Europe since 2015 through programs in the Nordics and Switzerland, and we believe that receiving packages should be as easy and convenient as ordering them online,” said Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz, vice president of consumer connectivity services at Volvo Cars.

In-car delivery is one of several digital consumer services offered by Volvo via the Volvo On Call platform. Volvo owners can already send calendar-based navigation destinations directly to their car, find nearby fuel stations and even get help finding their car in large car parks or on unfamiliar city streets.

Volvo Cars adds in-car delivery by Amazon Key to its expanding range of connected services

Volvo also offers its digital key technology for car-sharing feature in selected markets, enabled via Volvo On Call. The platform allows Volvo XC40 owners to easily share their car with family and friends without having to hand over a physical key.

Volvo On Call was the first mobile connected car platform when it launched and is currently available in around 50 countries, covering over 90 per cent of Volvo Cars’ global sales.