HD Radio is looking more and more like it’s here to stay as consumer companies slowly develop products which pick up the radio industry’s answer to satellite radio. The latest of these, and apparently also the first auto manufacturer putting out cars in the United States with this technology, is Volvo.

Volvo said today it will begin offering HD Radio on almost all of its models in fall of 2008. Volvo Cars of North America will specifically be offering factory installed HD Radio receivers as standard and optional equipment in a variety of models, including the S40 T5, V50 T5, C30, C70, S80, V70, XC70 and XC90.

HD Radio itself continues to expand, with more than 1,500 AM and FM stations “broadcasting using HD Radio technology and more than 700 offering subscription-free HD2 multicast channels on the FM dial.” With the new receivers Volvo drivers will be able to view information such as song title and artist, traffic and weather updates, news, school closings and other emergency alerts.

Volvo HD Radio announcement