Experts explained the dangers of disconnecting Russians from Volvo software

Disabling Russians from Volvo software will affect the use of cars of this brand, said auto experts interviewed by RBC.

Some drivers will not be able to remotely control some functions of the car, for example, turn on preheating, as well as open or close doors through the application, explained auto expert Artem Bobtsov.

Not all Volvo owners in Russia will have this problem. “We know from the example of other automakers that they do not disconnect all their users at once. Some functions are gradually being disabled, some models are being gradually disabled. No one knows exactly the shutdown algorithm. There is some chaos in the issue of disconnection,” Bobtsov said.

According to him, this is a “method of gentle pressure on car owners by automakers” so that they gradually get rid of their cars.

“Car manufacturers are carefully pushing car owners to get rid of them in Russia, so that they no longer have any connection with the Russian market, so that there is no need to continue importing spare parts here in order to carry out warranty repairs on cars,” he emphasized.

Bobtsov also noted the impossibility of “registering new keys.” “If you suddenly lost your car key, you can buy a blank, but you can no longer register it to work with that car in Russia,” he said.

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Another problem may arise when repairing or replacing a transmission or some electronic components that require connection to the vehicle through the official Volvo software service that has turned off. “Such a complex repair will become extremely difficult after some time or even now,” the auto expert concluded.

Partner of the analytical agency Autostat, auto expert Igor Morzharetto, noted that disconnecting from the software is “no longer a new problem,” because all German major manufacturers have done this a long time ago.

According to him, due to the software being disabled, problems arise when ordering spare parts. “If a car needs to change some serious component, for example a gearbox, which is registered through a central computer, you cannot order this part directly, and even if they deliver it to you, you can’t just install it, because they must be registered through a central computer, and Russian dealers no longer have access to it,” Morzharetto noted.

The software update, according to the auto expert, is brought from Europe on a flash drive, “passed from hand to hand at the border.” Nevertheless, this is “an already proven scheme.” “We’ve always had this for Tesla,” Morzharetto emphasized.

“Owners of premium European cars in such situations are forced to sell their cars and switch to Chinese, because there is a guarantee for Chinese cars, there is an understanding of spare parts, dealers, and if something happens you know where to go,” concluded the auto expert.

Earlier, the Izvestia newspaper reported that Russian Volvo car owners were disconnected from the software by order of the Swedish automaker as part of the sanctions policy.

Previously, German automakers BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz disconnected Russian dealers from the software. After the start of the military operation in Ukraine , they announced plans to leave the Russian market.

BorisHof, which is the largest BMW dealership in Russia, reported that now the owners of these cars will not be able to duplicate the keys, but “there are other difficulties.” Thus, an employee of the maintenance department noted that it is unknown whether dealers will be able to diagnose cars.