What’s happening
Volvo’s new flagship electric SUV, the EX90, will debut on Nov. 9.
Why it matters
The EX90 is expected to have a level of safety “beyond any Volvo car before,” including next-generation lidar sensors that work during the day and at night.
What’s next
The EX90 will eventually replace the gas-powered XC90 SUV.
Volvo’s new EX90 SUV will debut on Nov. 9, the company confirmed Wednesday. Set to eventually replace the XC90 SUV, the fully electric EX90 will be built at a new plant in South Carolina and should hit the road sometime in 2023.
We don’t yet have any concrete details regarding the EX90’s electric powertrain, but in a video published Thursday, Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan said the company’s new SUV will have a level of safety equipment “beyond any Volvo car before.” Design wise, the EX90 should look a lot like the Volvo Recharge concept that debuted last year.
The EX90 will be equipped with a full suite of ultrasonic sensors, cameras, radars and lidar, all of which will be powered by Volvo’s next-generation onboard computing system. Volvo says its new lidar tech works during the day and at night, and at highway speeds, too.
“Our research indicates that our software and sensors can help reduce accidents that result in serious injury or death by up to 20%,” Volvo said in a statement. “Likewise, we estimate we can even improve overall crash avoidance by up to 9%.”
Several years ago, the Swedish automaker committed to making it so nobody would be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo. This was called Volvo Vision 2020, and while this obviously hasn’t come to fruition, Rowan believes the EX90 is the true next step on this path toward ultimate safety. “We’ll continue to innovate until cars don’t crash anymore,” he said.
