Volvo has created the fastest font to improve driver safety

Volvo has developed its own font for automotive interfaces, focused on increased readability and reduced visual load on the driver. The new font was called Volvo Centum and will continue to be used on digital screens across all of the brand’s models.

How the Volvo font was created

The work on the font was carried out together with the Dalton Maag typography studio. The main task of the project was to create a visual solution that allows you to quickly and easily read information even with a short glance at the screen and in difficult lighting conditions. Volvo emphasizes that the development is directly related to the safety philosophy, which has remained a key principle of the company for almost a hundred years.

Creative Director of UX at Volvo Cars Matthew Hall noted that when creating Volvo Centum, the main emphasis was placed on clarity and intuitive perception. According to him, the font helps reduce visual noise in the interface and makes it easier to perceive information, allowing the driver to concentrate on the road, and not on the multimedia system screen.

Features of the Volvo font

During the development process, the team took into account the peculiarities of visual perception and cognitive psychology. Particular attention was paid to the visibility of symbols, the distances between letters and other typographic nuances that simplify quick scanning of text. The issue of reducing cognitive load, that is, how the driver’s brain perceives and processes information while driving, was separately studied.

Additionally, the effect of the font on eye movement, including the so-called saccades, was analyzed. The shapes of the letters, their combination, sizes and the general structure of the interface were selected in such a way that the gaze moved smoothly across the screen and allowed to recognize more information at one glance. This directly affects the speed of reading and understanding of messages displayed on the display.

When will the Volvo Centum font be released

Volvo Centum refers to the brand’s centenary, which the company plans to celebrate in 2027. The debut of the new font is scheduled for early 2026, when it first appears in the interface of the new Volvo EX60 crossover.

In addition to its practical function, Volvo Centum also has a visual connection to the brand’s history. The company notes that when working on the letter shapes, designers were inspired by classic models, including the Volvo 850 of the 1990s. The outlines of the font can be seen as references to the vertical taillights, the diagonal of the three-point seat belt and the sense of proportion characteristic of Volvo cars.