Is the latest Volvo EV a glimpse into an electrified future?

The automotive manufacturer, Volvo is in the spotlight for its electric vehicle (EV) innovations, but for many years has also adopted safety as its unique selling proposition (USP). 

The Swedish car manufacturer has been heralded as a producer of some of the safest vehicles on the market. In fact, the question that often arises is “which Volvo is the safest?”

But, the latest model will certainly top them all—when delivered to customers in 2024—as the safest car for drivers, passengers, but also for the environment as Volvo continues to spread its commitment to the climate change challenge. 

The seven-seat EV from Volvo is built for passengers

In early-November, Volvo unveiled its latest model EV, the EX90, which is a seven-seater, electrified SUV that is built for families. It marks a major milestone in electrification, particularly as EVs seem to be getting much larger these days. 

The owner of the all-electric brand Polestar is nothing but ambition with its plans to transition from fossil fuels to EVs as the EX90 is part of the firm’s wider goal to unveil a new electric car every year. By 2030, Volvo aims to sell only EVs and claims to have one of the most ambitious strategies in place for an automotive company—which will also play a critical role in reaching climate neutrality by 2040. 

The EX90 was presented to the world from downtown Stockholm, Sweden, which reflects the foundation of the 95-year-old company. 

“The Volvo EX90 is a statement for where we are, and where we are going,” says the carmaker’s CEO, Jim Rowan. 

“It’s fully electric with a range of up to 600 kilometres (roughly 370 miles) on a single charge, designed to further raise our safety standards, the first Volvo car to be truly defined by its software and part of a wider ecosystem, connecting to your home and your other devices. The Volvo EX90 is the start of something new for Volvo Cars in many ways.”

The mission of climate action inherits safety benefits

Although a major step in the right direction for the industry, the business is not stopping there. The latest model Volvo achieves great strides in terms of safety thanks to the integration of technology and link-up with smart devices. 

The company refers to it as an invisible shield of safety enabled by the latest sensing technology, which occurs both inside and outside of the car. The EV is equipped with the latest camera technologies as well as radar and lidar systems connected to high-performance computing devices. 

As a result of this system integration with the in-built NVIDIA DRIVE, the car creates a 360-degree view of the world around it, providing the driver with more visibility. The core system is built upon NVIDIA AI platforms Xavier Orin, as well as Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms from Qualcomm Technologies, and an in-house built Volvo software. These are all linked to the safety features of the EV while also providing infotainment and battery management. 

Supplied by Luminar, the car’s lidar system is capable of analysing the road conditions at all times of day and all highway speeds.

Addressing sustainability through automotive

Now that users are safe, time to focus on the environment. Volvo’s EX90 delivers a competitive range and is capable of charging from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes depending on the charger used.

Sporting a 111kWh battery and two permanent magnet electric motors, the car achieves power output of 380kW, which is equivalent to 517bhp. 

But, the important credentials are those of sustainability as the EV consists of some 15% recycled steel, 25% recycled aluminium, and 15% recycled plastics and bio-based materials—amounting to around 48 kilograms per car. This is a triumph for Volvo and sets a precedent for the industry as every company looks to reduce production impact on the planet.