The all-electric Volvo EX90 has been revealed, marking the start of a new era at Volvo Cars.
After months of teasing, we finally have a full reveal of Volvo’s latest flagship SUV – the EX90. The EX90 is an all-electric 7-seater SUV that will be sold alongside and then fully replace the XC90 as the company’s top tier product.
The EX90 is based on all new underpinnings despite sharing the proportions of the outgoing XC90. Sticking to some parts of the Embla concept, Volvo has moved the LiDAR sensor, cameras and radar modules to a little bulbous section on the roof just on top of the windscreen. They’ve painted the roof black to better hide the presence of this sensor housing. Thanks to the odd placement of this housing, the sensors are able to get a 360-degree view of the car’s surroundings.
The EX90 also runs NVIDIA Drive AI Platforms, Xavier and Orin, as well as Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms to run the core functions of the car surrounding safety, infotainment, battery management and more. This high-tech approach to carmaking means that the EX90 will get better with time as software is updated and optimised.
The Volvo EX90 will be available as an all-wheel drive model with dual permanent magnet motors to start. Maximum power is rated at 496 hp and 910Nm of torque, but also expect it to weigh at least 2 tonnes given its sheer size and 111kWh battery pack. Range is anticipated to be around 600km, which is great all things considered. Fast charging the battery from a 10% to 80% state of charge takes only 30 minutes.
Along with the launch of the EX90, Volvo Cars also divested their holdings in their internal combustion engine joint venture with Geely called Aurobay. This move essentially means that Volvo Cars will focus all its resources into electric powertrain development and away from fossil fuel engines.
In fact, Volvo doubled down on battery electric vehicles, saying that starting with the EX90, they will reveal a new fully electric car every year with the aim of selling only fully electric cars by the year 2030. This is on top of their existing goal of becoming a climate-neutral company by 2040. The Volvo XC90 will be built in the USA and in China – two of the company’s largest markets and coincidentally the largest markets for electric vehicles too.
Here’s the press release with more.
PRESS RELEASE
A true seven-seater, all-electric SUV that further raises our standards in safety and a more sustainable lifestyle: the new Volvo EX90 represents the start of a new era for our company in which we set a decisive course for a fully electric future.
Starting with the Volvo EX90, we’ll reveal one new fully electric car each year. By 2030, we aim to sell only fully electric cars, one of the most ambitious electrification blueprints in the automotive industry and crucial to our ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
We revealed our new fully electric flagship SUV to the world in downtown Stockholm today, reflecting our Swedish roots. At the same time, reflecting our global footprint as a company, the Volvo EX90 will be built in the USA starting next year and later also in China. By then, we aim for those two production facilities to be climate-neutral.
A new instant classic in Scandinavian design, the Volvo EX90 defines the principle of form following function. It’s a versatile, stylish family car with modern proportions, combined with cutting-edge technology in core computing, connectivity and electrification to optimise safety, efficiency and aesthetics.
Keeping you and your loved ones safe
The standard safety in the Volvo EX90 is also higher than any Volvo car before it. It’s designed to understand you and its surroundings to help keep you, your loved ones and others in traffic safe. It can also get smarter and safer over time, as it learns from new data and receives updates.
The Volvo EX90 has an invisible shield of safety enabled by our latest sensing technology, inside and outside. State-of-the art sensors like cameras, radars and lidar are connected to the car’s high-performance core computers, where NVIDIA DRIVE runs Volvo Cars’ in-house software to create a real-time, 360-degree view of the world.
Our sensors don’t get tired or distracted. They are designed to respond and react when you’re just a fraction too late. Our lidar, delivered by Luminar, can sense the road in front of you, whether it’s day or night, also at highway speeds. It can see small objects hundreds of metres ahead, creating more time to inform, act and avoid. The sensors also contribute to improve the reliability and overall performance of our assisted driving function Pilot Assist, with a new steering support while changing lanes.
Inside, our invisible shield of safety also looks out for you. Special sensors and cameras, powered by our own in-house developed algorithms, gauge eye gaze concentration. The technology allows the Volvo EX90 to understand when you’re distracted, drowsy or otherwise inattentive, beyond what has been possible in a Volvo car to date.
It’ll alert you, first softly nudging, then more insistent. And if the unthinkable happens, and you fall asleep or are taken ill while driving, the Volvo EX90 is designed to safely stop and call for help.
Finally, thanks to the state-of-the-art sensor set including lidar, the Volvo EX90 is the first Volvo that’s hardware-ready for unsupervised driving in the future.
Technology with a purpose
A core system – powered by NVIDIA DRIVE AI platforms Xavier and Orin, Snapdragon® Cockpit Platforms from Qualcomm Technologies and in-house developed software by Volvo engineers – runs most of the core functions inside the car, from safety and infotainment to battery management. The end result is a more responsive and enjoyable experience inside the car.
In other words, your Volvo EX90 won’t be just a new car, it will be a highly advanced computer on wheels. Even better, just like your smartphone or your laptop, the Volvo EX90 is designed to get better over time, thanks to regular over-the-air software updates.
By combining the state-of-the-art computing power from Snapdragon’ Cockpit Platforms with the visualisation capabilities of Unreal Engine, the 3D tool developed by Epic Games and used to power some of the world’s largest games, to give you lightning-fast computing power and high-quality graphics on the in-car screens and head-up display.
A 14.5-inch centre screen is your gateway to one of the best infotainment systems on offer, with Google built in. Google apps and services including hands-free help from Google Assistant, Google Maps navigation and more of your favourite apps on Google Play all come built in. The displays in the Volvo EX90 help you keep your eyes on the road by offering you the right information at the right time. The Volvo EX90 will also be compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay.
Thanks to the standard 5G connection where available, it’s never been easier to install the apps you need on your home screen and enjoy highly intuitive navigation. You can also stream your favourite music through the new, reference-quality Bowers & Wilkins audio system featuring Dolby Atmos as a Volvo-first, plus head rest-integrated speakers for immersive sound.
The Volvo EX90 will also come with phone key technology as standard. Your smartphone serves as your car key and automatically unlocks the car and starts a personal welcoming sequence as you approach. Your personal profile will also be loaded automatically as you enter the car.
All of this technology comes together in one of the most pleasant and elegant car interiors on the market, full of natural and responsibly-sourced materials. That interior composition also reflects our sustainability ambitions, such as being a fully circular and climate-neutral company by 2040.
Supporting a more sustainable lifestyle
With its brand new, in-house developed fully electric technology base, the Volvo EX90 is your perfect companion for a more sustainable family lifestyle. Delivering up to 600 kilometres of tailpipe emission-free driving range on a single charge, according to the WLTP test cycle, it charges from 10 to 80 per cent in under 30 minutes.
The initially available twin-motor all-wheel drive version is powered by a 111kWh battery and two permanent magnet electric motors together delivering in its performance version 380 kW (517 hp) and 910 Nm of torque. In combination with the brand new chassis, this creates a great and smooth driving experience.
The Volvo EX90 contains approximately 15 per cent of recycled steel, 25 per cent of recycled aluminium as well as 48 kilogrammes of recycled plastics and bio-based materials, which corresponds to around 15 per cent of the total plastic used in the car – the highest level of any Volvo car to date.
Finally, the Volvo EX90 is our first car with all the necessary hardware to enable bi-directional charging. It’s a technology whereby you can use your car battery as an extra energy supply, for example to power your home, other electric devices or another electric Volvo car. We plan to make bi-directional charging available in the future, starting with selected markets.
The small print
- Described features might be optional and the availability of the features and services mentioned above may differ between markets.
- Charging and range figures are preliminary and derive from estimates and calculations performed by Volvo Cars for Volvo EX90 and these outcomes are not guaranteed. Preliminary range figure is for the initially available twin-motor all-wheel drive version (300Kw/408 hp). Preliminary range varies for other trim levels. The driving range and energy consumption under real conditions vary depending on driving behaviour and other external factors. Charging times can vary and are dependent on factors such as outdoor temperature, battery temperature, charging equipment, battery condition and car condition. Car certification pending.
- Google, Google Play and Google Maps are trademarks of Google LLC.
- Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Snapdragon is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated.
