Jim Rowan, CEO of Volvo Cars, explains what the EX90 will bring in terms of active and passive safety. © Volvo Cars
Safety and electrification are the two credos of the Sino-Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars, owned by the Geely group. The security component is not new. Remember that Volvo is the inventor of the seat belt and was very involved in the development of baby seats in the 1960s.
As for the electrification of vehicles, Volvo has set itself 2030 to become a 100% electric car manufacturer. This objective will be achieved in stages with, from 2025, part of the sales in pure electric and the other part in hybrid. Moreover, today, there is no more diesel in the range. This is how an investment of 1.10 billion dollars was made to transform the production plant in Torslanda.
Today, Volvo mainly offers electrified models and only two 100% electric models, the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge. These should soon be joined by the EX90, a large SUV, replacing the XC90, the flagship of the brand whose only electrified engine offered was a rechargeable hybrid (PHEV).
If the manufacturer has formalized the arrival of the EX90, no visuals and no technical characteristics have been revealed. The suspense will end on November 9, 2022.
What we do know is that this new electric SUV will offer safety as standard “superior to that of any existing Volvo before it“, according to the manufacturer. Moreover, Volvo announces the presence of a string of sensors, cameras, radars and a Lidar, the centerpiece of the device. The manufacturer ensures that the sensors and software “can contribute to the reduction of accidents leading to serious or fatal injuries by up to 20%“. Moreover, he believes that they will be able to “reduce the risk of collisions by up to 9%“.
Attentive outside, but also inside
Safety isn’t just around the EX90, it’s inside too, thanks to what Volvo calls “an invisible shield“. Here too, cameras and sensors watch over the driver via in-house algorithms allowing “identify and assess gaze focus“. According to the manufacturer, this invisible shield has technology that will “far beyond what has been possible on a Volvo vehicle“.
In addition to sound and visual alerts, the EX90 will be able, in case of falling asleep or feeling unwell, to stop by itself on the side of the road or in a secure place and call for help.
Will this future EX90 be Volvo’s absolute weapon in its objective of “zero deaths or serious injuries in a Volvo”? To be continued…