End of Sensus Support

[SignumGB]

Originally Posted by Tatsfield

Remember to preload the google map areas through which you will be travelling or you could end up downloading a lot of needless data at roaming costs.

I am with Three mobile so get free roaming in Europe. Did a two week holiday in France this way, cost zero. Some other providers don't offer free roaming so people need to be careful on that one.

[steadvex]

not sure if anyone else has looked this up, but if you check on the British site https://accessories.volvocars.com/en...CC-493687/2014

I'm not sure if that means its the last 2 map updates available or not I personally read it as the latest updates available for each system, but that also seems wrong, would be hoping that the newer sensus connect would get 3 years of updates after the previous one as its 3 years newer?

bit miffed if it does mean no more updates mind

however on this page https://www.volvocars.com/uk/support...ad/mapcaretm-2 it says updates available until at least 2025 which is what I have always gone by.

[apersson850]

It's the two last updates they plan to release. That's what we've been talking about in this thread.
It's obvious that it's not the last two now available, as one is from June 2020, which hasn't happened yet.

The other one you refer to is for the next system, not the one that's the main subject in this thread.

Separate navigation systems are just so clumsy.

[TonyG746]

I have a 2012 MY V70 T6 Polestar. I have had the update to allow USB updates. So I'm not very happy that I got an update in 2018 then not until 2020 and that is the last one! I understand things go end of life, but the maps are provided by HERE which are still updating the content. If Volvo can't be bothered to provide the updates at least let us purchase updates direct from HERE.

Has anyone had any success updating the Volvo system with the HERE (or any other) maps? I guess a software update in not possible, but I would expect it would be reasonably straightforward to update the basic map content in the existing installer?

As others have said Volvo's are known for their longevity. For just about zero effort Volvo could enable us to update our maps for a few more years to come.......

[apersson850]

Typically, a navigation system provider takes the map data, from HERE in this case, and structures it to fit their particular navigation system.
You have to know this structure requirement to know how to present the data.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

Many people have 10 year old road atlases in their cars and navigate just fine with them.

Mine is from 1979 and still serves me ok ..

[apersson850]

But that's completely different. When you look at a paper map, intended as a road atlas for car use, you look at a map that has a scale where you can only see coarse details. Small changes to the road network you'll not notice.

When you are driving along, you don't look at the map in detail. You check that you are heading towards some place, like Bristol. Even if the road layout has changed around Salisbury, you simply follow the signs and may not even notice that the map isn't correct any longer.

But a GPS with obsolete data will lead you to take a turn you can't, follow a road that's not there and eventually show you in a field, when you in reality are on a road.
That's more confusing than an obsolete paper map.
Only when you come to detailed street navigation is the problem on a similar level.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by apersson850

But that's completely different. When you look at a paper map, intended as a road atlas for car use, you look at a map that has a scale where you can only see coarse details. Small changes to the road network you'll not notice.

When you are driving along, you don't look at the map in detail. You check that you are heading towards some place, like Bristol. Even if the road layout has changed around Salisbury, you simply follow the signs and may not even notice that the map isn't correct any longer.

But a GPS with obsolete data will lead you to take a turn you can't, follow a road that's not there and eventually show you in a field, when you in reality are on a road.
That's more confusing than an obsolete paper map.
Only when you come to detailed street navigation is the problem on a similar level.

We all passed our driving test so not going to drive into rivers or go down and of the one or two roads which have closed :-) One thing with the Navigation device is that you will always get there .......... Eventually via the lanes !

[Tatsfield]

I think the aspect that leaves me with the most discontent over the withdrawal of Sensus support is that it is not a costly service to provide and there is no solid reason why it needs to be withdrawn apart from creating discontent for the owner with his car which I assume is calculated to encourage some owners to trade in their Volvos for new ones. I am cynical but I just feel that this policy is a devious marketing ploy and runs counter to the longevity benefit of owning a Volvo which is one of the reasons why many Volvo owners choose the marque.

Is there no way an after market software supplier cannot supply map updates from the original map supplier? I agree that you can scrap the Sensus and use a TomTom or Garmin but no matter if we can all get by without it, it's still a foolish slap in the face from a company which is supposed to pride itself on keeping quality cars on the road for longer than most other marques.

[richardt1994]

Hello All,

Volvo may have written the Sensus navigation system software, but they will have obtained the raw mapping data from another company. There are only a limited number of companies who licence out their map data such as Here, TomTom, Garmin etc.

It may be the case that Company A supplied the map data for sensus under a licence agreement that ends for example in 2020. Volvo may now use Company B to supply the map data for new cars and they do not want the expense of a new licence agreement with Company A when they are no longer manufacturing cars that use that map data. In addition, the map data from Company B may not be compatible with Sensus and again there would be considerable additional cost in updating Sensus (now a "legacy" system) to use the map data from Company B.

This is very common in the world of software, and is the reason why Apple developed Apple Maps for the iPhone, iPad and macOS so that they were not dependent on licencing Google Maps from Google and would not be "held over a barrel" by Google at some future point.

I strongly suspect this is all to do with mapping licence costs and agreements not technology.