All new Volvo cars to have a limited top speed of 180km/h

Volvo on Wednesday announced that all its new cars will now come with an electronically limited top speed of 180km/h. This announcement follows on from the promise that Volvo Cars made last year to introduce such a limitation and goes beyond regulation and legislation to help close the remaining gap to zero serious injuries and fatalities in traffic.

Speed cap aside, Volvo also revealed that every new car it sells will come with a Care Key. This allows owners to set additional limitations on the car’s top speed, for example before lending their car to other family members or to younger and inexperienced drivers.

The top speed limit has proven to be controversial since it was announced, with some observers questioning the rights of car makers to impose such limitations through available technology.

Yet Volvo Cars believes it has an obligation to continue its tradition of being a pioneer in the discussion around the rights and obligations of car makers to take action that can ultimately save lives — even if this means losing potential customers.

“We believe that a car maker has a responsibility to help improve traffic safety,” says Malin Ekholm, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “Our speed limiting technology, and the dialogue that it initiated, fits that thinking. The speed cap and Care Key help people reflect and realise that speeding is dangerous, while also providing extra peace of mind and supporting better driver behaviour.”