Volvo’s first EV sedan to launch with 111 kWh battery… in 2025
Volvo has begun prototype production of its next-generation luxury electric sedan, possibly called the ES90. The V551, as it’s internally known, will be built in China. This information comes via a leak from Volvo’s own internal board, with a photo of the V551 team proudly kneeling next to a giant “CONFIDENTIAL TOP SECRET” sign below a banner with the text “Volvo Cars V551 First VP Car Celebration.” Seems like pretty solid confirmation to us!
The news was initially reported by Swedish outlet TeknikensVärld. There are some noteworthy tech specs included, like a 111 kWh battery (107 kWh available), 600 km of range (372 miles), 3100mm wheelbase, 2600kg curb weight (around 5700 lbs), and two drive configurations: dual-motor all-wheel drive and single motor rear-wheel drive. According to the article, Volvo allegedly plans to start producing the ES90 in May 2024 (presumably, they mean pre-production), though retail availability isn’t planned until mid-2025.
The specifications of the ES90 would place it on the larger side of mid-size EV luxury sedans like the Mercedes EQE, BMW i5, Tesla Model S, and Lucid Air. As for the range, that number actually seems pretty realistic given the battery capacity and anticipated weight of the car, though we’re obviously a long way off from validating that in reality.
Volvo is investing heavily in electrification, and this car will supposedly be the first Volvo developed entirely by the company’s China-based R&D team. While many of Volvo’s electric models are built in China, including the EX30 we just drove, the company has retained a large engineering and design contingent in its home country of Sweden to date.
Electrek’s Take
Sedans are a tough sell in a crossover-first world. While a lot of folks online may clamor about their increased aerodynamic efficiency and lower rooflines, most consumers are currently SUV and CUV-crazy. The fact that Volvo has prioritized efforts like the EX30 and the upcoming EX90 is not at all surprising, and speaks to the decline of the sedan globally.
Still, there is space for a luxury sedan out there — Mercedes, Audi, BMW, and Porsche all produce high-end EV sedans, and these are the brands Volvo has traditionally positioned itself against as a “value” competitor, offering class-leading safety and comparable tech features at a lower price than the Germans.
Mid-2025, though, is a long ways off, and I suspect 372 miles of range won’t be all that impressive in a year-and-a-half. Will Volvo introduce an 800V architecture with this car? Will there be leading-edge autonomy features? Can it greatly undercut the existing luxury EV sedan space on pricing? There are a lot of unknowns here, and it seems we’ll be waiting a while to answer them.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
Oil prices jump more than 3%, adding to last week’s surge, as Israel strikes Iran energy facilities
Kenworth has announced the addition of Bendix’ Fusion advanced driver assist system (ADAS) to its line of options on the T680 line of Class 8 commercial semi trucks – a lineup that includes the Next Generation T680E battery electric semi truck.
One of the many new trucks revealed at the 2025 ACT Expo in Anaheim, California earlier this year, the Next Generation Kenworth T680E featured the latest advancements in battery-electric technology, an enhanced exterior design, and a suite of new, in-cab technology that extends to the addition of three Bendix Fusion version: ADAS, ADAS PRO, and ADAS PREMIER.
All three of the announced ADAS packages offer updated Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with ACC Stop and Auto Go™, a new Pedestrian Autonomous Emergency Braking (PAEB) feature, and a new High Beam Assist feature to reduce the likelihood of blinding oncoming drivers supported by the addition of a new forward-looking camera.
Those updates are in addition to the ADAS units Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Multi-Lane Autonomous Emergency Braking, Highway Departure Braking (HDB), and Stationary Vehicle Braking (SVB), Lane Departure Warning, and Bendix® Blindspotter® Side Object Detection already available on previous versions of the ADAS-equipped Kenworth.
Kenworth migital mirrors
Now that we’ve got that acronym-loaded word-salad out of the way, we can get to the point: the newest generation of electric trucks is easier and safer to drive – and not just safer for the truck’s operators, but for the people who share the roads with them, too.
Kenworth T680E electric semi
The Next-Generation T680E is available with up to 605 peak hp and 1,850 lb-ft of torque from a PACCAR Integrated ePowertrain fed from a 500 kWh li-ion battery pack good for more than 200 miles of loaded range. The updated Class 8 BEV is rated up to 82,000 lb. gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR), and can get that load back up to speed quickly with a 350 kW peak charge rate that means the T680E can charge up to 90% in just two hours.
That system isn’t just more efficient than the first generation truck, it’s also more serviceable than it was before.
“This move to a fully integrated and ground-up PACCAR design means we were able to design for enhanced serviceability,” explains Joe Adams, Kenworth’s chief engineer. “Providing easier access to the Master Service Disconnects for improved safety and increased uptime and allowing the use of the DAVIE service tool for troubleshooting and diagnostics.”
The Next Generation Kenworth T680E electric semi truck is designed for short and regional-haul, LTL, and drayage operations. It’s available as a day cab as either a tractor or straight truck in a 6×4 axle configuration.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Kenworth; via Kenworth.
Did you know: grid-connected solar systems automatically shut off when the grid fails? That means you won’t have power in a blackout, even with solar panels.
To keep the lights on, you’ll need a whole home backup battery – your personalized solar and battery quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. The best part? No one will call you until after you’ve decided to move forward. Get started today, hassle-free, by clicking here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Just like it says on the tin – retailers are advertising killer deals on the fun-to-drive Kia Niro EV, with one midwest auto dealer reporting more than $10,000 off the sticker price of the Niro EV Wind. That’s nearly 25% off the top line price!
SKIP THE STORY: get straight to the deals.
The Kia Niro EV gets overshadowed by its objectively excellent EV6 and EV9 stablemates – both of which are currently available with substantial lease cash and 0% APR financing, in fact – but that doesn’t mean it’s not an excellent little electric runabout in its own right.
The last time I had a Niro EV tester, my kids loved it, I liked that it was quicker and more tossable than I expected it to be, and my wife liked the fact that “it doesn’t look electric. It looks normal.” And, with well over 200 miles of real world range (EPA-rated range is 253 miles), it was more than up to the task of commuting around Chicago and making the trip up to the Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee and back without even needing to look for a charger.
It’s not the primary family hauler I’d choose – but as a second car? As a primary car for a slightly smaller family (1-2 kids, instead of 3-4)? The Kia Niro EV Wind, with a $42,470 MSRP, seems like a solid, “can’t go wrong” sort of choice. You know?
You won’t even have to pay that much, though. Raymond Kia in Antioch, Illinois is advertising a $42,470 Niro EV for $32,431 (that’s $10,039, or about 24% off the MSRP), and several others are advertising prices in the $33,000 range.
And, while we’re at it:
Kia Niro EV gallery
SOURCE | IMAGES: CarsDirect, Edmunds, Raymond Kia.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. The best part? No one will call you until after you’ve elected to move forward. Get started, hassle-free, by clicking here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut