Upcoming Volvo EX90 to introduce advanced safety, EV platform

MANILA: In order to become a totally electric corporation by 2030, Volvo Cars has made remarkable strides toward electrification and carbon neutrality across its various marques and production methods.

Recent evidence of this may be found in the teaser for the company's future electric vehicle, the EX90.

The Volvo EX90 — what could be the production rendition of the Concept Recharge debuted in July of last year — is scheduled to make its premiere this November. The phrase "less but better" is at the heart of the aforementioned design, which was unveiled as the platform for the automaker's upcoming all-electric vehicles.

The company's CEO, Jim Rowan, has assured the public that the new Volvo EX90 will be the brand's safest vehicle to date.

In order to lessen the impact of collisions that result in fatalities or serious injuries by 20%, it will be outfitted with next-generation laser sensors (including roof-mounted lidar sensors, eight cameras, five radar sensors, and 16 ultrasonic sensors) and software.

Advanced safety kit will also include a hands-free highway driving assistance system called Ride Pilot, a real-time interior sensing system that can help the car recognize when the driver is not in a suitable condition for driving, and a new safety feature called the "driver understanding system" for the EV.

The new SPA2 platform, which also allows internal combustion engines with a hybrid configuration, is supported by the EV.

The EX90 is scheduled to debut in November and go on sale in the US and other regions in 2023. Production will take place at the brand's South Carolina plant, where the S60 sedan is now made.

In order to fit both a battery pack and an internal combustion engine, the initial generation of electric cars from Volvo will coexist on the same floor as vehicles powered by combustion engines.

The designers have increased the car's wheelbase and tire size, as shown in the Volvo Concept Recharge, by removing the engine and installing a full battery pack underneath the flat floor.

As a result, there are less overhangs and much more inside room, including a sizable storage compartment between the front seats.

These developments prompted designers of the Concept Recharge to relocate the seats, optimize the roof shape, and reduce the bonnet of the vehicle while preserving the high eye point cherished by owners of vehicles like the Volvo XC40, XC60, and XC90. When compared to a normal SUV, this strategy produces aerodynamic efficiency advantages that increase range.

Additionally, this concept car debuts a fresh design language for Volvo.

A shield-like structure in place of the standard grille is complemented by an updated version of Volvo Cars' Thor's Hammer headlamp design. These feature the most recent pure graphics with HD technology, which open at night to show the primary lamp units.

The brand's iconic vertical rear lamps are modernized with wings that extend at greater cruising speeds to further enhance aerodynamics. They nonetheless pay homage to the brand's rich design history.

“Our Concept Recharge represents a manifesto for the all-electric future of Volvo Cars, as well as a new type of vehicle,” said Robin Page, Head of Design at Volvo Cars. “It displays new and modern proportions that go hand in hand with increased versatility and shows what technology can enable in terms of design.”

Inside, the Concept Recharge continues to show the new version of the Volvo design language. The flat floor gives everyone within the car greater room and a more comfortable seating posture.

The centerpiece of the company's next-generation connected infotainment system's enhanced and better user experience is a sizable, 15-inch standing touchscreen. Technology aids in creating a quiet and calm environment by being rational and simple to use.

The latest infotainment technology goes hand in hand with those other hallmarks of Scandinavian design: clean lines and extensive use of sustainable and natural materials inside the cabin.

“Inside the Concept Recharge, we create a truly Scandinavian living room feeling,” added Robin Page. “The interior integrates our latest user experience technology with beautiful, sustainable and natural materials. Each part of the interior is like a piece of art and could stand alone as individual furniture in a room. We use the latest technologies but not for their own sake. We always focus on the benefits that technologies can bring.”

“With the Concept Recharge, we continue the rich roots of Volvo’s design DNA in a modern and fresh way as we move into our all-electric future,” concluded Page. “It represents everything we believe customers expect from a pure electric Volvo and we’re excited to take this philosophy into our next generation of cars.”

Early this year, Volvo Cars through the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, the carmaker's tech venture arm, has made an investment in Bcomp, an innovative Swiss firm that develops high-performance lightweight materials based on natural fibers.

To create its materials, Bcomp uses flax fibers, a bio-based material that offers significant savings in terms of weight, energy use and emissions versus regular plastic parts. The material also enables design options for aesthetic surfaces.

Volvo is actively exploring the use of natural fiber composites in its next generation of pure electric cars, while its EV brand Polestar also aims to use Bcomp’s materials in forthcoming models.

Volvo used Bcomp’s materials in its most recent concept car, the Volvo Cars Concept Recharge. Bcomp’s calculations show that compared to regular plastic parts, the natural fiber-based composites are up to 50% lighter, use up to 70% less plastic and generate up to 62% lower CO2 emissions.

Volvo Cars and Northvolt decided to build a new battery manufacturing facility in Gothenburg, Sweden early this year. The facility will open in 2025, have a capacity of 3,000 batteries, and complement the two businesses' previously stated plans for a research and development facility.

The plant's construction will start in 2023. Modern battery cells will be produced there for the upcoming Volvo and Polestar completely electric automobiles.

Meanwhile, Volvo has raised €500 million from a diverse set of global investors for funding and accelerating the carmaker’s transformation towards becoming a fully electric carmaker by 2030, and becoming climate neutral and circular by 2040.

Over two-thirds of the proceeds will fund the research and development of electric powertrains for next-generation pure electric Volvo cars and related new platform technology. The rest will be invested in boosting the company’s production capacity of fully electric cars.

Photos from Volvo

Also read: 3 Volvo electrified SUVs win category awards at 2022 What Car? Electric Car Awards