Volvo’s All-New EX90 is a True Flagship

Volvo recently introduced a range-topping electric SUV called EX90. This brand new model will eventually be sold alongside the existing XC90 and serve as the Swedish automaker’s new flagship.

Expect nothing less than the safest Volvo vehicle to ever hit the road, with artificial intelligence and over-the-air updates keeping the various systems fully effective over time. The company wants to eliminate all stress, fatigue and distraction from driving—and consequently any collision that might be caused by them.

A New Era of Electrification

Of course, the EX90 is not the first Volvo to run purely on electrons, but it’s definitely the most advanced and sophisticated yet. It also marks the beginning of a new era for Volvo: after launching in the second half of 2023, we’ll see the introduction of a new electric model every year for the rest of the decade, at which point the entire lineup will be EVs only.

Here, styling is inspired by the Concept Recharge unveiled in 2021 and driven by a focus on aerodynamics, which is key to maximizing EV range (the EX90 is expected to travel over 525 km on a full charge based on North American test cycles). The clean surfaces and flush-mounted door handles are just two examples. But what’s up with that weird bulge at the top of the windshield? This is where the EX90’s secret weapon lies—a LiDAR.

What’s a LiDAR? Well, the word stands for “light detection and ranging,” but the device itself uses infrared light instead of radio waves to calculate the distance between two objects. In the case of the EX90, it can detect pedestrians up to 250 metres away and something as small and dark as a tire on a black road 120 metres ahead. All this while traveling at highway speeds, day or night.

The exterior is also equipped with an array of ultrasonic sensors (16), cameras (eight) and radars (five), all governed by a central computer running on software developed by Volvo and NVIDIA to scan, analyze and react to the vehicle’s surroundings. It’s like having eyes and ears all around the head!

Automated and Digitalized

There is so much more to talk about, mind you. Additional cameras and sensors are mounted inside the cabin in order to monitor the driver and passengers. Let’s say you stop paying attention or fall asleep behind the wheel—the EX90 will first warn you with increasingly clear alerts, and if you still don’t react appropriately, it will safely pull over and automatically contact emergency services. Volvo says Level 3 autonomous driving capability is built-in the EX90 and can be activated through an OTA software update where local regulations will allow it.

As you can see, there are no physical buttons on the centre stack. All the controls can be found on the portrait-style, 15-inch digital interface. Is that a good thing from a safety standpoint? We’ll have to see. At least there are two rows of controls at the bottom of the screen for climate or other vehicle functions (they can be configured depending on the driver’s needs). A series of Google apps is also part of the mix.

One last feature we absolutely need to highlight is two-way charging capability. The 111kWh battery in the EX90 can not only charge from 10-80 percent in less than 30 minutes when plugged into a DC fast charger, but it can also be used to plug in another EV, various power tools and devices or even a house and use the energy like a mobile generator.

Now, how much will the 2024 Volvo EX90 cost? We don’t have the answer yet, but it certainly won’t be cheap.