A standard-fit data SIM card offering 100GB of free data will boost the take-up of Volvo connectivity services for the first year of customers’ ownership experience with the Swedish brand.

Emphasising the technology’s use as a tool to boost safety on the road, the Swedish brand said that real-time traffic information and alerts received and transmitted when a similarly connected Volvo car’s hazard lights are triggered nearby – or slippery road surfaces are encountered – are all among the benefits.

Volvo has a long-established target to ensure that no-one should be killed or injured in one of its vehicles by 2020 and has rolled-out various technology to help boost safety in recent years.

In March this year it announcedthat it would install cameras in their vehicles which will watch drivers through cameras to look for signs of intoxication or distraction.

It also intends to impose a 112mph speed limit on al its cars by 2020. 

But Volvo retailers could also benefit from the ability to deliver service reminders direct to customers’ cars thanks to the new connected SIM card technology.

Kristian Elvefors, Volvo Car UK managing director, said: “Being connected is a hugely important part of modern life, and in-car connectivity brings a whole host of benefits in terms of entertainment, information, journey planning and safety while on the move.

“By fitting a data SIM card to every new Volvo, we are ensuring that our customers can enjoy the cutting-edge technology in our cars to the full, while also making their lives easier and more enjoyable.”

The standard-fit SIM card initiative will be rolled-out across the Volvo franchised network on all Model Year 2020 cars, buts can also be retro-fitted to any that have already been delivered to customers.

The SIM card allows the driver and their passengers to be fully connected at all times, with access to 100GB of data for up to one year. V

Volvo said this is the “longest and most generous” Vodafone plan currently offered by a car maker in the UK.