Volvo unveils bespoke EX90 electric SUV as ‘the safest vehicle it has ever produced’
During a global livestream event from Sweden today, Volvo Cars has officially unveiled its upcoming EX90 SUV, sharing a myriad of safety features, advanced technologies, and sustainable materials that combine within this bespoke EV. Volvo also teased a second model coming next year, but more on that later. There’s lots to explore here, so let’s dig in.
Table of contents
Background of the Volvo EX90
We first started covering the Volvo EX90 when the automaker began teasing it in September, touting the upcoming SUV’s capabilities as “an invisible shield of safety.” As a successor to the super popular XC90, Volvo has explained that this new bespoke SUV kicks off a new generation of vehicles for the brand as it looks to become offer an entirely-electric lineup by 2030 and become entirely carbon neutral a decade after that.
Volvo promised the EX90 would come standard with a slew of safety features and in-house designed technologies, in addition to other components from trusted companies like Google and NVIDIA. What first enticed us to learn more about the EX90 is its LiDAR sensors built into its exterior, again standard instead of as an upsell to potential customers.
In early October, we learned that the EX90 will arrive as Volvo’s first vehicle with bi-directional charging capabilities, part of a holistic energy management system the company will soon offer to help consumers utilize their vehicle to alleviate grid dependency and ensure backup power during emergencies.
Following an official unveiling today, we’ve learned a helluva lot more about the EX90 SUV. As a representation of Volvo’s targeted future, this is a wonderful starter. Have a look.
EX90 demonstrates the Volvo’s future as electric brand
There are plenty in minute details in both press releases from Volvo, but we recommend watching the video unveiling below to get the full picture, because there is A LOT of new stuff being introduced by by the automaker within this electric SUV.
Unlike Volvo’s previous EVs that were essentially combustion models converted for the electric age, the EX90 will arrive as an entirely new breed of EV for the brand – software defined, sustainable, and safe for a family lifestyle. It sits atop an entirely bespoke platform, complete with new electric motors, inverters, and a battery management system.
Company CEO Jim Rowan explained that the EX90 demonstrates the future Volvo will stand for as it relates to safety, technology, sustainability, and design. Speaking of design, let’s start with that exterior.
Aside from more of a sleeker, streamlined look compared to previous models, the EX90 has two key features worth pointing out. First is its Luminar LiDAR system, implemented front and center in the roof line above the windshield (image above). The system is able to see 250 meters ahead in complete darkness. The LiDAR is also supported by 16 ultrasonic sensors, 8 cameras, and 5 radar systems – all standard.
Second is the redesigned headlamps that deliver a new spin on Volvo’s unmistakable “Thor’s hammer” design. Have a look.
By removing the front grill because, well, its obsolete, Volvo wanted to ensure the face of its future models was still recognizable, hence where the new headlamps come in. These high-definition 1.3 megapixel lights open from the hammer shape for daylight driving, to the stronger night lamps.
The Volvo team said it also offers an anthropomorphism to the face of the EX90, as sort of a blinking or eye opening motion. There are also come cool new light features in the interior, so let’s move inward.
Glowing wood interior and more safety features
Inside the cabin, future EX90 owners will find evidence Volvo’s aforementioned focus on safety, sustainability, and design. Materials in the carpets, seats, and headliners come from recycled materials, while still offering a look of quality. During the day, the dash panels and doors house Scandinavian wood, but as the sun sets, light emerges from within – an entirely new Volvo design feature debuting on the EX90.
The EX90’s dash houses a 14.5-inch center screen with Google and 5G connectivity built-in, alongside capabilities for wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and over-the-air updates. The SUV will also arrive as the first Volvo to feature Dolby Atmos sound via a 25 speaker system from Bowers and Wilkins.
The driver’s side features its own smaller display above the steering wheel, as well as two cameras that combine with “unique Volvo technology software and algorithms” to monitor the driver’s state of being. This includes drowsiness, distraction, intoxication, and illness. Per the release:
It’ll alert you, first softly nudging, then more insistent. And if the unthinkable happens, and you fall asleep or are taken ill while driving, the Volvo EX90 is designed to safely stop and call for help.
Other specs and teaser of a new model in 2023?
Today’s unveiling was more focused on the design elements of the Volvo EX90, so we are sure to learn more about its performance (and pricing) closer to production. That said, here are some other pertinent specs to share:
- Up to 600 km (~373 mi) range on a single charge (WLTP standards)
- Can charge from 10-80% in under 30 minutes
- Dual motor version will be powered by an 111 kWh battery to start
- 517 horsepower (380 kW) and 910 Nm of torque
- Bi-directional charging capabilities including Plug & Charge
Last but not least, Volvo capped off the EX90 presentation with a little teaser of things to come. A video showed the EX90 sitting by its lonesome when the lights start to flicker. Suddenly, a second, smaller model appears on left as the screen behind flashes “2023.” Check it.
Volvo is certainly kicking off a new generation of all-electric vehicle with the EX90, and appears to be soon following up with a more compact sibling very soon. We will keep tabs on that and ensure you’re informed as well. In the meantime, we recommend checking out the full Volvo EX90 unveiling below.
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British Columbia got its first 400 kW DC fast charger last week at Canadian C-store chain On The Run, but that’s not the good part. As part of a limited time offer, these chargers are FREE!
The Canadian convenience store chain just took the wraps off its new, ABB-developed, 400 kW chargers earlier this month, but they’re already planning to bring the ultra-fast 400 kW dispensers to at least four more locations in BC this spring, and have them online just in time for the summer road trip season – something On The Run hopes its customers will appreciate.
“The A400 charger delivers an enhanced customer experience, with reliability and performance from a 32-inch screen to higher power charging sessions and power sharing,” reads the company’s official announcement, via LinkedIn. “Download the Journie Rewards app to start the charge – free for a limited time.”
On The Run’s new 400 kW ABB DC fast chargers are compatible with CCS and CHAdeMO plugs, and can accommodate Tesla and other NACS-equipped vehicles with an adapter. That said, the company seems to imply that Tesla drivers in particular will have a maximum charging speed of “just” 50 kW, which feel hilarious (given the current state of affairs between Tesla and the Canadian government), but probably isn’t.
In addition to the ABB A400 400 kW units shown here, On The Run locations also employ the ABB Terra 184 dispensers rated at 180 kW. On The Run plans similar deployments at the four BC locations mentioned above, as well as two more each in Quebec and Ontario slated to go live towards the end of this year.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla’s controversial CEO Elon Musk once mocked 350 kW charging speed as being “for a child’s toy,” despite the fact that, nearly nine years later, his own cars and Superchargers can barely make it to 325 kW while others have sailed right on past. I made fun of that fact on the Quick Charge episode shown, above – and, while I do think it’s funny and relevant, the much more relevant piece of news here is that companies like BP Pulse, Revel, and Wallbox are actively deploying 400 kW solutions, today (while others hit the same mark as far back as 2017).
It’s just a fact: Tesla has fallen way behind.
SOURCE | IMAGES: On The Run, via Electric Autonomy.
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Terawatt Infrastructure‘s first medium- and heavy-duty electric charging truck stop in California is now online, in Rancho Dominguez.
Located 12 miles north of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the private Rancho Dominguez site, which is shared among multiple fleets, will support electric trucking fleet operations in and out of the largest container ports in the US.
First customers include Dreaded Trucking, Hight Logistics, PepsiCo, Quick Container Drayage, Southern Counties Express, Tradelink Transport, and WestCoast Trucking & Warehousing.
Terawatt’s electric charging truck stop features 20 pull-through and bobtail DC fast charging stalls with a capacity of 7 megawatts (MW), enabling charging for up to 125 trucks per day using a simple reservations system. Terawatt’s site features a proprietary charge management system, in-house technicians, 24/7 customer service, and onsite parts management.
“This launch underscores growing collaboration between enterprises, shippers, carriers, and charging infrastructure providers to advance sustainable technologies across logistics and transportation operations, especially in the medium and heavy-duty sectors,” said Neha Palmer, CEO and cofounder of Terawatt. Palmer added that the company will bring another charging site online in Rialto, California, in June.
Terawatt joined some of the world’s largest shippers and carriers in September 2024 to launch the I-10 Consortium heavy-duty EV operations pilot, the “first-ever US over-the-road electrified corridor.” Terawatt is providing charging infrastructure, including software, operations, and maintenance support at six of its owned charging hubs along the I-10 corridor.
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In its most aggressive attack against offshore wind yet, the Trump administration halted the $5 billion Empire Wind 1, already under construction off New York’s coast.
Norwegian developer Equinor announced yesterday that it received notice from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) ordering Empire Wind 1 to halt all activities on the outer continental shelf until BOEM has completed its review. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted this tweet yesterday:
Burgum gave no indication of what insufficiencies there were in the approval process for the fully permitted offshore wind project, despite Trump’s recent declaration of a national energy emergency that speeds up permitting processes.
The commercial lease for the 810-megawatt (MW) Empire Wind 1’s federal offshore wind area was signed in March 2017 during the first Trump administration. It was approved by the Biden administration in November 2023 and began construction in 2024.
The project is being developed under contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Empire Wind 1, which was due to come online in 2027, has the potential to power 500,000 New York homes.
“Halting construction of fully permitted energy projects is the literal opposite of an energy abundance agenda,” said American Clean Power Association CEO Jason Grumet in a statement. “We encourage the administration to quickly address perceived inadequacies in the prior permit approvals so that this project can complete construction and bring much-needed power to the grid.”
As Electrek reported, Equinor secured $3 billion to finance Empire Wind 1 in January. The total amount drawn under the project finance term loan facility as of March 31 was around $1.5 billion.
As of March 31, Empire Wind has a gross book value of around $2.5 billion, including South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (pictured above), which was expected to become the US’s largest dedicated port facility for offshore wind.
In response to BOEM’s stop work order, New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued the following statement:
Every single day, I’m working to make energy more affordable, reliable and abundant in New York and the federal government should be supporting those efforts rather than undermining them. Empire Wind 1 is already employing hundreds of New Yorkers, including 1,000 good-paying union jobs as part of a growing sector that has already spurred significant economic development and private investment throughout the state and beyond.
As Governor, I will not allow this federal overreach to stand. I will fight this every step of the way to protect union jobs, affordable energy and New York’s economic future.
Equinor says it’s considering appealing BOEM’s order.
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