Unveiled last November, the new Volvo EX90, a 2.8 tonne 100% electric car, should arrive in our dealerships in 2024. And according to some rumors, it could offer new versions, including a two-wheel drive. This could go from 7 to 5 places.
It’s been a few years since Volvo began its transition to all-electric. While the European Union will ban the sale of thermal cars on the continent by 2035, the Swedish brand has already announced its ambition to only sell electric models from 2030. A strategy already on the right track, while the manufacturer only markets electrified cars on the French market.
A new variant
Among them, two 100% electric models, namely the XC40 and the C40 Recharge, its cousin with the silhouette of a coupe SUV, which benefit from some improvements relating in particular to autonomy. If we can fear that Volvo is lagging behind its rivals, the brand intends to catch up with the latter. This is why it formalized its new EX90 last November, replacing the XC90 still on the market for the moment.
A large top-of-the-range SUV which will then cap the catalog, with its impressive technical characteristics. 5.04 meters long and with a pachydermic weight of 2.8 tons when empty, this newcomer is far from being a ballerina. Rather designed for China and the United States, the Swedish juggernaut should not necessarily meet on every street corner here, especially sinceit will cost more than 90,000 euros.
During its presentation, two versions were unveiled, namely Recharge Twin and Recharge Twin Performance, with respective powers of 408 and 517 horsepower for 770 and 910 Nm of torque. All this cavalry is then distributed between the four wheels, thanks to two motors distributed on each axle. This partly explains the weight of the machine. But that might change in the future.
Indeed, the journalists of the site MotorTrend were able to speak with Javier Varela, COO of Volvo, who gave some information on the future of the SUV range. Because it could be that new variants will emerge a little later. Among them, a five-seater version, while the EX90 has seven in its base version. The manager explains that the SPA2 platform allows several different configurations.
A two-wheel-drive version
But that’s obviously not all. Indeed, it is also quite likely thata version with a single engine and therefore of a two-wheel drive architecture also makes its appearance in the catalog. In this case, it will be a rear-wheel-drive variant, like the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5, among others. A Performance version even more radical than the one already presented would also be possible.
On the other hand, nothing has yet been said about the technical sheets of these versions, which should arrive shortly after the launch of the Swedish SUV, scheduled for 2024. As a reminder, this is the first of the brand to be based on the SPA2 platform, entirely dedicated to electric models. A technical base then shared with the Polestar 3 which will be assembled in the same factory in Chengdu, China. Later, both will also be produced on the lines at the Ridgeville, South Carolina (USA) site.
This new platform is designed to maximize space on board, but also to accommodate a whole arsenal of technologies. Volvo is indeed collaborating with Nvidia and Qualcomm for its infotainment system and Level 3 autonomous driving system.
A strategy that also reminds us of that of Renault, which is partnering with Google and Qualcomm to design its Snapdragon Digital Chassis platform that will equip its future vehicles. Like Renault’s future model scheduled for 2026, the new Volvo EX90 can therefore be considered an SDV (Software-Defined-Vehicle).
A new future platform, with more autonomy
Later, the Swedish brand will launch a completely new platform, called GPA (Global Product Architecture). If little information has been revealed for the moment, this one will call for a 800 volt architecture like the Porsche Taycan and Kia EV6. Thus, recharging will be faster than for the EX90, which requires 30 minutes at 250 kW power. Volvo is also preparing the launch of a smaller model, positioned under the XC40. This one should respond to the name of EX30 for an arrival in 2024.
2.8 tonnes empty is the weight of the Volvo EX90. It is frankly not the all-electric future that we dream of on Frandroid. Nevertheless, this car interests us all the same. We explain to you…
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