The long wait for the launch of Volvo’s first all-electric SUV comes to an end with the global launch of the EX90.
Piped by Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan as a fully 7-seat family recreational vehicle that can travel more than 370 miles (596 km) on a single charge, he says it represents both a new vehicle and the future direction for the company to be an exclusively electric producer by 2030 and a net zero carbon emitter by 2040.
In practice, this means the automaker will launch one new all-electric vehicle each year until the end of the decade.
Naturally, more than its Scandinavian influence, the car’s styling is dominated by aerodynamically smooth lines to aid efficiency and extend driving range. Also, with its electric technology developed in-house, the Volvo EX90 claims to charge from 10% to 80% battery capacity in less than 30 minutes.
The SUV will initially be offered in a twin-engine, all-wheel drive version, powered by a 111-kWh battery and two permanent magnet electric motors delivering 300 kW (408 hp) of power. A later power version will claim 380 kW (517 hp) and 671 lb.-ft. (910 Nm) of torque. However, Volvo points out that fuel and mileage figures are preliminary and these results are not guaranteed.
In keeping with the automaker’s history, safety is a primary focus with Rowan (pictured above eft) claiming the EX90 will be the safest vehicle Volvo Cars has ever put on the market. Much of that, he says, stems from its AI-driven machine learning software, which it claims “gets smarter and safer over time as it learns from new data and receives (over the air ) updates’.
The EX90 uses a full range of sensors for awareness, including cameras, radars and lidars, connected to high-performance central computers, where the Nvidia Drive platform manages Volvo’s in-house software, claiming a 360-degree view of the world in real time.
Volvo says the systems can see small objects hundreds of meters ahead in any weather or lighting conditions, creating more time to inform, act and avoid. The sensors also help improve the reliability and overall performance of the Pilot Assist driver assistance feature with a new Lane Change Steering Assist feature.
The automaker also claims its array of sensors makes it the first Volvo to be hardware-ready for self-driving in the future.
The interior of the EX90 also features an array of sensors and cameras to measure driver awareness using in-house developed algorithms to measure eye-gaze concentration. The technology claims to understand when a driver is distracted, drowsy or otherwise inattentive, more than has been possible in any of its products to date.
In case of concern, the system will nudge the driver gently and become more assertive if the driver does not respond. If the system decides that the driver has fallen asleep or is incapacitated due to illness, the car will stop and call for help.
For passengers, the car’s computing power from the Snapdragon Cockpit platforms with the visualization capabilities of Unreal Engine, the 3D tool developed by Epic Games, enables fast games with high-quality graphics on the screens in the car, including the 14.5-inch. (37 cm) center display and heads-up display.
The EX90 will also come with phone key technology as standard for those who can’t do anything without their smartphone. It will automatically unlock the car and start a personalized greeting sequence when the driver approaches. Your personal profile will load automatically when you enter the car.
In terms of sustainability, the EX90 contains about 15% recycled steel, 25% recycled aluminum, as well as 106 lbs. (48 kg) of recycled plastic and bio-based materials, which corresponds to around 15% of the total plastic used in the car, the highest level of any Volvo car to date.
Volvo followed the lead of Nissan, and later Ford, by including two-way charging with this model. Allows the car’s battery to be used as an additional power source, for example to power a home, other electrical appliances or another Volvo electric vehicle.
Rowan says: “The Volvo EX90 is a statement about where we are and where we are going. It is… the first Volvo car that is truly defined by its software and is part of a wider ecosystem connecting to your home and other devices.
“The Volvo EX90 is our vision of a large family SUV in the electric age. Born electric and software-defined, it demonstrates what future Volvo cars will be in terms of safety, technology, sustainability, design and creating a more personal experience for every customer.”