Photo: Volvo
Forget Volvo’s fossil-fuel past because the Swedish automaker is pivoting to electric at full steam. EX90 is the company’s first bespoke electric vehicle, as well as the first Volvo to feature the SPA2 platform.
Rather than an evolution of the SPA introduced by the combustion-engined XC90, this platform is brand new according to Anders Gustafsson. Speaking to MotorTrend, the president and chief executive officer of Volvo Cars Americas also laid out a growth plan for the EX90 flagship.
Chief operating officer Javier Varela confirmed two possibilities for the near future, both of them designed to raise the newcomer’s appeal. As the headline implies, a two-row variant is under consideration. The Scalable Product Architecture 2 also supports one motor instead of two. If the EX90 does receive a single-motor powertrain, it will be rear-wheel drive.
Twinned with the Polestar 3, which is planned to enter production in the first part of 2023 as a 2024 model, the Volvo EX90 will be manufactured in two assembly plants: Chengdu in China and Ridgeville in the state of South Carolina. The latter factory is home to the S60 mid-size luxury sedan, and its yearly production capacity is estimated at 150,000 vehicles. Chengdu, on the other hand, is alternatively known as the Polestar Production Center. The Polestar 1 PHEV used to be made there, whereas the Polestar 2 EV is manufactured in Luqiao at a CMA-specific factory.
Turning our attention back to the EX90, don’t even dare think that Volvo is pulling the plug on the XC90. The combustion-engined crossover will be kept on sale for heaven knows how many eons to come in parts of the world that aren’t prepared for mass electric vehicle adoption. Expected to start at under $80,000 stateside next year for the 2024 model year, the EX90 is considerably more expensive than the XC90 for the U.S. market.
The online configurator lists the mid-size family SUV at $56,000 or $755 per month for the B5 AWD entry-level specification. At the other end of the spectrum, the T8 eAWD 6 Seater is $74,100 sans destination charge. Despite being advertised as a luxury crossover, the XC90 is limited to 2.0-liter engines (both turbocharged and turbo/supercharged) and an integral rear link axle. The rear axle uses a transverse leaf spring, but as opposed to a truck, it’s mounted transversally and serves no load-bearing function. In other words, it substitutes the coil springs expected from such a vehicle.
The EX90 sports double wishbones up front, an integral link rear end, dual-chamber air suspension, and hydraulic shocks. The Swedish automaker’s safest series-production vehicle yet uses a 400-volt system, which is a bit surprising because even Hyundai offers an 800-volt system as standard in the Ioniq 5. To address this rather surprising shortcoming, chief operating officer Javier Varela told MotorTrend that Volvo is developing a new platform for next-generation electric vehicles, namely the Global Product Architecture.
Chief operating officer Javier Varela confirmed two possibilities for the near future, both of them designed to raise the newcomer’s appeal. As the headline implies, a two-row variant is under consideration. The Scalable Product Architecture 2 also supports one motor instead of two. If the EX90 does receive a single-motor powertrain, it will be rear-wheel drive.
Twinned with the Polestar 3, which is planned to enter production in the first part of 2023 as a 2024 model, the Volvo EX90 will be manufactured in two assembly plants: Chengdu in China and Ridgeville in the state of South Carolina. The latter factory is home to the S60 mid-size luxury sedan, and its yearly production capacity is estimated at 150,000 vehicles. Chengdu, on the other hand, is alternatively known as the Polestar Production Center. The Polestar 1 PHEV used to be made there, whereas the Polestar 2 EV is manufactured in Luqiao at a CMA-specific factory.
Turning our attention back to the EX90, don’t even dare think that Volvo is pulling the plug on the XC90. The combustion-engined crossover will be kept on sale for heaven knows how many eons to come in parts of the world that aren’t prepared for mass electric vehicle adoption. Expected to start at under $80,000 stateside next year for the 2024 model year, the EX90 is considerably more expensive than the XC90 for the U.S. market.
The online configurator lists the mid-size family SUV at $56,000 or $755 per month for the B5 AWD entry-level specification. At the other end of the spectrum, the T8 eAWD 6 Seater is $74,100 sans destination charge. Despite being advertised as a luxury crossover, the XC90 is limited to 2.0-liter engines (both turbocharged and turbo/supercharged) and an integral rear link axle. The rear axle uses a transverse leaf spring, but as opposed to a truck, it’s mounted transversally and serves no load-bearing function. In other words, it substitutes the coil springs expected from such a vehicle.
The EX90 sports double wishbones up front, an integral link rear end, dual-chamber air suspension, and hydraulic shocks. The Swedish automaker’s safest series-production vehicle yet uses a 400-volt system, which is a bit surprising because even Hyundai offers an 800-volt system as standard in the Ioniq 5. To address this rather surprising shortcoming, chief operating officer Javier Varela told MotorTrend that Volvo is developing a new platform for next-generation electric vehicles, namely the Global Product Architecture.
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