Odd smell

[Harni]

Recently purchased a MY20 S60 T8 polestar engineered. Although it’s just over a year old, I picked it up the week before Christmas with less than 600 miles on the clock as it’s spent most of its first year sat in a show room so it’s basically brand new.
Today as every working day, I had the car plugged in at work. Half hour before leaving I have started the pre conditioning and after the half hour, come out to set off. When unplugging the car I had noticed a smell from the front bumper/wheel arch area of the car which I can only describe as a mild hot electrical smell. I could also hear a fan or something similar in the same area.

My question simply is, is this something to be concerned about? Reason I mention that the car is virtually new is I know a lot of new components have various coatings used in the manufacture process which sometimes burn off. I don’t know how the car provides heating in pre conditioning but if it’s a petrol parking heater, would it be in this location?

My 14 mile drive home was absolutely fine, no issues and when I parked up, no smell at all.

[nu11eaf]

It sounds like it was the pre-conditioning heater, I do not know where it is on new Volvo's but they are usually behind the passenger side bumper or under the bonnet at that side on other cars and the exhaust exits there, the fan continues to run for a short while after combustion stops for the cool down period. The heater combustion chamber gets very hot and will smell a little. Is is normal.

[Philip Fisher]

As above this is 100% your pre-conditioning heater. Have a poke around near the drivers side mudflap and you should find a very small exhaust pipe. It burns petrol but doesn't smell like engine exhaust. It also makes a noise as the circulation pump runs. Nothing to worry about.

[Harni]

Ah ok, thank you both. I thought it may be something logical like that but with it being new to me, I wasn’t sure and it wasn’t the most reassuring of smells!