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The first all-electric Volvo EM90 officially rolled off the assembly line on Tuesday. Volvo’s EM90 is the brand’s first electric minivan, complete with a “Scandinavian living room” interior.

A Scandinavian living room on wheels

After teasing the EM90 several times, Volvo finally revealed its first electric minivan in November.

“It’s an age-old cliché, but there really is no place like home,” Volvo CEO Jim Rowan said after unveiling the new EV. The EM90 is built for more than simply getting from point A to point B. It’s designed to maximize the time spent in the car.

Volvo developed the interior for ultimate comfort and flexibility, whether for business or pleasure.

The “Scandinavian living room on wheels” includes premium lounge seating with rear cupholders, massage functions, and a fold-out table (like an upscale movie theater). It also includes a massive 15.6″ rear screen that folds out for entertainment, business, etc.

With the push of a button, the EM90 converts into a movie theater, business boardroom, or even a bedroom.

Volvo’s EM90 includes smart storage options, opening up a spacious cabin with plenty of head and leg room.

An additional 15.6″ infotainment screen completes the minimalist interior up front. The electric minivan features advanced software, including Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms from Qualcomm.

Volvo EM90 rolls out as its first electric minivan

The Volvo EM90 is powered by Geely’s SEA platform, which underpins the Polestar 4, Lotus Eletre, and all ZEEKR models.

Volvo-EM90-electric-minivan
Volvo’s first electric minivan, the EM90 (source: Volvo)

A 200 kW electric motor and 116 kW battery are good for up to 458 miles (738 km) CLTC range. Although the EM90 rides on the same platform as the ZEEKR 009, you can see Volvo’s unique design throughout the vehicle. Volvo included new signature features like its Thor Hammer headlights and an illuminated logo.

Less than three months after its unveiling, the first EM90 officially rolled off the assembly line on Tuesday.

Volvo announced the news, saying the “EM90 brings a new experience to consumers” as the Swedish automaker enters a new segment.

The Volvo EX90 is first available in China, starting at 818,000 yuan ($114,000). Deliveries will begin in March, but Volvo has yet to confirm where else it will launch the electric minivan.

Electrek’s Take

After selling a record 113,419 electric cars in 2023, Volvo is aiming bigger this year. Volvo is launching unique EVs in new segments to help the brand reach new customers.

Although the EM90 is not likely to make its way to the US as a China-built model, Volvo is launching two other electric models.

The EX30 (check out our review here) is Volvo’s smallest and cheapest vehicle yet. It will start at $35,000 in the US and €36,590 in Europe as a “cornerstone” of Volvo’s EV plans.

Volvo’s first three-row electric SUV, the EX90, is also rolling out this year. It will start at $76,695 in the US to compete with Rivian’s R1S, Kia EV9, and Mercedes EQS.

With three new EVs in key segments, Volvo expects “tremendous growth” in 2024. By 2025, Volvo aims for 50%, or about 600,000, of its sales to be electric as it looks toward an all-electric future by the end of the decade.

What do you guys think? Is Volvo setting itself up for success? Let us know what you think of the new Volvo models in the comments below.

Source: CarNewsChina, Volvo China

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China’s nationwide ‘cash for clunkers’ trade-in program causing huge e-bike boom

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China's nationwide 'cash for clunkers' trade-in program causing huge e-bike boom

While much of the Western world is still figuring out how to get more people on electric bikes, China just flipped a switch, and the results are staggering. Thanks to a generous nationwide trade-in program rolled out around six months ago, China has seen an explosive surge in electric bicycle sales, with over 8.47 million new e-bikes hitting the road in the first half of 2025 alone.

The program, which offers subsidies to riders who trade in their old, often outdated electric bikes for newer, safer, and more efficient models, has sparked a new e-bike sale boom in a country already dominated by e-bike travel. In major provinces like Jiangsu, Hebei, and Zhejiang, over one million new e-bikes were sold in each region in just six months. That’s a tidal wave of e-bike sales.

The incentives vary depending on location and the model being traded in, but for many consumers, the subsidies cover a substantial portion of a new e-bike’s price – enough to turn a “maybe next year” purchase into a “right now” upgrade. And these aren’t just budget bikes either. The program has driven demand for higher-quality models with better batteries, safer braking systems, and more reliable electronics, accelerating both adoption and innovation across the industry.

The move has proven successful in replacing the millions of older models with lower-quality lithium-ion batteries that had posed safety risks around the country. Instead, China has pushed for higher-quality lithium-ion batteries, a return to a newer generation of higher-performance AGM batteries, and even interesting new sodium-ion battery options.

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Most e-bikes in China look more like what we’d consider seated scooters

According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, more than 8.4 million consumers have participated in the e-bike trade-in program so far, contributing to a sales increase of 643.5% year-over-year and more than doubling sales month-over-month. Meanwhile, production of new electric bicycles rose by nearly 28%, as manufacturers scrambled to meet demand. The sales boosts have already been seen in the financial reports of major industry players like NIU.

And it’s not just the big players benefiting – over 82,000 small independent e-bike dealers reported average sales increases of ¥302,000 (around US $42,000), giving a serious boost to local economies.

What’s particularly striking here is how fast this happened. The program was officially launched late last year as part of a broader effort to stimulate domestic consumption and phase out outdated vehicles and appliances. But while most analysts expected gradual growth, the e-bike sector responded much more quickly. In less than a year, the trade-in subsidies have reshaped the electric bicycle market, creating a consumer-driven boom that shows no signs of slowing.

For those of us watching from outside China, it’s hard not to wonder what might happen if other countries tried something similar. While most families in Chinese cities already own an electric bike and thus see this as an opportunity to trade it in for a newer model, Western countries like the US are still figuring out how to stimulate commuters into buying their first e-bike.

It’s too soon to know exactly how long the boom will last or whether the momentum will carry into 2026 and beyond. We’ve seen bicycle industry bubbles grow and burst before. But one thing’s clear: with the right incentives, even modest ones, it’s possible to ignite real, large-scale change. China just proved it with nearly 8.5 million new e-bikes to show for it.

And if you’re wondering what it looks like when a country takes electric micromobility seriously, this is it.

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Day 1 of the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 [Gallery]

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Day 1 of the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 [Gallery]

Today was the official start of racing at the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025! There was a tremendous energy (and heat) on the ground at NCM Motorsports Park as nearly a dozen teams took to the track. Currently, as of writing, Stanford is ranked #1 in the SOV (Single-Occupant Vehicle) class with 68 registered laps. However, the fastest lap so far belongs to UC Berkeley, which clocked a 4:45 on the 3.15-mile track. That’s an average speed of just under 40 mph on nothing but solar energy. Not bad!

In the MOV (Multi-Occupant Vehicle) class, Polytechnique Montréal is narrowly ahead of Appalachian State by just 4 laps. At last year’s formula sun race, Polytechnique Montréal took first place overall in this class, and the team hopes to repeat that success. It’s still too early for prediction though, and anything can happen between now and the final day of racing on Saturday.

Congrats to the teams that made it on track today. We look forward to seeing even more out there tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some shots from today via the event’s wonderful photographer Cora Kennedy.

Stay tuned for more!

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Tesla sold 5,000 Cybertrucks Q2, Optimus is in chaos, plus: the Infinity Train!

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Tesla sold 5,000 Cybertrucks Q2, Optimus is in chaos, plus: the Infinity Train!

The numbers are in and they are all bad for Tesla fans – the company sold just 5,000 Cybertruck models in Q4 of 2025, and built some 30% more “other” vehicles than it delivered. It just gets worse and worse, on today’s tension-building episode of Quick Charge!

We’ve also got day 1 coverage of the 2025 Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix, reports that the Tesla Optimus program is in chaos after its chief engineer jumps ship, and a look ahead at the fresh new Hyundai IONIQ 2 set to bow early next year, thanks to some battery specs from the Kia EV2.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

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Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.


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