Volvo has launched the ES90, featuring an innovative 800-volt platform, highlighting the EX90’s outdated 400-volt system. The EX90 will soon adopt this technology, improving charging speed and efficiency. Currently equipped with 104 or 111 kWh batteries, the EX90 offers impressive ranges and rapid charging capabilities. The upgrade could dramatically enhance range recovery and charging time. Additionally, the EX90 will receive a significant software upgrade, boosting computing power for advanced driver-assistance systems, free for existing owners.
Unveiling the New Volvo ES90 and EX90 Upgrades
Volvo has recently introduced its latest electric sedan, the ES90, which boasts an advanced 800-volt platform. This announcement makes the Volvo EX90 feel somewhat dated, as it still operates on a 400-volt system, despite being less than a year old in the market.
In an effort to reassure customers, Volvo has confirmed that the EX90 will transition to this new technology, enhancing charging speeds and overall efficiency for this spacious SUV.
Future Enhancements and Charging Capabilities
At present, the Volvo EX90 is equipped with either 104 kWh or 111 kWh batteries, providing WLTP ranges between 580 and 616 km. It already features impressive charging capabilities, allowing it to charge from 10% to 80% in just 30 minutes at a power of 250 kW.
According to reports from Auto Express, the transition to an 800-volt platform for the EX90 is expected to occur during a model year change. Volvo CEO Jim Rowan mentioned, “In the future, we will switch to 800 volts. We will upgrade the EX90 during one of the model year changes.”
This upgrade could enable the Volvo EX90 to regain up to 300 km of range in just 10 minutes, thanks to a charging capacity of up to 350 kW, reducing the time to charge from 10% to 80% to just 20 minutes. However, it is likely that the EX90 will continue to use its existing battery options, while the ES90 will feature a 106 kWh battery.
The motivation behind this significant upgrade to an 800-volt system stems from the decreasing costs associated with this technology. The Volvo CEO noted, “If you look at China and its competitors, almost all new models coming out are 800 volts and above.” With many electronic components produced in China, prices are dropping, making it a viable option for Volvo.
Despite Volvo’s strong Swedish roots, it is now part of the Chinese Geely group, which has already implemented 800-volt platforms across several models from Zeekr, Galaxy, and Lotus. The increased adoption of this technology within the group facilitates cost savings, allowing Volvo to integrate this platform more affordably.
Additionally, another exciting electric model, the Volvo EX60, will also feature the 800-volt technology, based on the new SPA3 platform.
As part of these advancements, the Volvo EX90 will receive a major software upgrade. This upgrade will incorporate the dual hardware platform NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin, which was first introduced with the ES90.
Alwin Bakkenes, the head of global software engineering at Volvo, explained to Auto Express that this transition will provide vehicles with “eight times more computing power,” significantly enhancing the performance of ADAS systems available to customers.
In a customer-friendly move, Volvo plans to install this new computing system at no charge for owners of previously manufactured EX90 models.