Some people tried to film this new SUV, what happened to their phone is dangerous

A technology present in this new car model can cause a strange reaction on smartphones.

This is some bad publicity that Volvo could have done without. After experiencing two years of delays in delivering its new EX90, mainly due to software issues, the Swedish brand, owned by the Chinese group Geely, is facing another problem. Its family model, which is supposed to be the top of Volvo's electric range, is being singled out for a rather unfortunate defect.

The Volvo EX90 is a large SUV, available with 7 seats, particularly spacious and richly equipped. This new model from the premium brand has a 111 kWh battery that allows it to travel up to 615 kilometers between two charges according to the manufacturer's data. It is also the first Volvo to be equipped with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) integrated directly into the roofline. This technology uses infrared rays to measure distances and create a three-dimensional map of objects around the vehicle. This is particularly useful for driver assistance systems (emergency braking, obstacle identification, lane keeping, etc.) and for creating highly accurate navigation maps.

This system, while quite expensive, is a significant step forward in improving passenger safety. But it turns out that LiDAR can also have harmful effects on everyday objects. Some users, including journalists who were able to test the all-electric SUV in advance, noticed that this radar had damaged their cell phones. How? By causing spots to appear on the screen or defects in the images captured by the smartphone after filming the vehicle in motion.

Volvo has also admitted that the EX90's LiDAR radar could damage image sensors in cell phone cameras, explaining that the problem was due to the wavelength of the laser light used by the radar. The manufacturer insisted that this wave poses no risk to humans. Other car manufacturers have encountered similar problems with their light detection systems. Having failed to find a solution, Volvo is simply advising its customers not to film their electric SUV too closely.