After many speculations around the name of Volvo XC90’s successor, the Swedish carmaker cleared the waters. In a keynote delivered on Wednesday, Volvo chief executive Jim Rowan confirmed that the new flagship SUV will be named EX90 and unveiled on November 9.
Rowan’s keynote was rather dense in details about the safety systems of the upcoming EX90, which was rumored to be named EXC90, and also Embla. That would’ve been an awkward name, let’s face it, coming from an automaker as conservative as Volvo. The Volvo EX90, as you’d expect, will put safety at its core, and Volvo promised it would offer safety “beyond that of any Volvo before it.”
“We’ll continue to innovate until cars don’t crash anymore, until we’re 100 percent carbon-free as a company,” said Rowan. “All in order to protect more lives, in line with our purpose. The EX90 is the start of a new era for Volvo Cars, taking our legacy of safety, quality, and innovation into the future.”
Instead of trying to replace drivers at the controls, Volvo safety assist tech wants to make the humans drive better so that no crash will happen. The Volvo EX90 will be packed to the brim with sensors, such as cameras, radars, and a LiDAR sensor, working together to create a 360-degree real-time view of the surroundings. The aim announced by Jim Rowan is to reduce accidents that result in severe injury or death by up to 20 percent.
The LiDAR sensor coming from Luminar is a first for Volvo, which goes in a different direction than Tesla. The system would be embedded in EX90’s roofline to measure distances with high precision, day and night. According to Rowan, it can see small objects from up to 250 meters ahead, creating more time to inform, act and avoid. The LiDAR sensor is complemented by eight cameras, five radars, and 16 ultrasonic sensors.
The safety technology will also scrutinize the cabin and see if the driver pays attention to the road. It uses two cameras to allow the EX90 to know when the driver is distracted, tired, or otherwise inattentive, “beyond what has been possible in a Volvo car to date,” says Rowan. The system evaluates many signals, including steering behavior and driver reactions, to anticipate when the driver becomes distracted. When such a situation is sensed, it will alert the driver and even stop the car if there’s no reaction.
After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News