Volvo Ex90 Cars Begins New Journey

The electric vehicle is the wave of the future. Electricity is the future of the passenger automobile market, if not the entire market. In light of this, practically every automaker has declared intentions to switch to electric vehicles by the end of the decade.

Some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are already moving forward with their plans to switch to electric vehicles. One such OEM is Volvo of Sweden. The XC40 Recharge, the company’s first electric vehicle, debuted in 2019 and has just been introduced in India.

Now, the automaker’s flagship model, the EX90, has been electrified as well, marking a new stage in the company’s drive toward full electrification.

It is widely considered that with the release of the new flagship model, the firm has entered the next phase of its journey, charting a clear course toward an all-electric future.

As part of its goal to become a climate-neutral corporation by 2040, Volvo Cars plans to unveil one new fully electric car per year starting with the Volvo EX90, and to sell only fully electric cars by 2030.

Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan has stated that the EX90 is a representation of the company’s identity and future direction. The electric sport utility vehicle (e-SUV) on display in downtown Stockholm will be manufactured in the United States starting in 2019 and afterwards in China. The corporation has stated that having two separate production facilities is an effort toward carbon neutrality.

When it comes to the vehicle itself, the EX90 represents the values and future of the Volvo brand. Based on Volvo’s SPA Gen-2 platform, the new car features Level 4 autonomy and is thus the safest Volvo to date and a demonstration of the company’s dedication to safety.

NVIDIA Drive runs Volvo Cars’ proprietary software, which takes data from high-tech sensors like cameras, radars, and Lidar to produce a real-time, 360-degree vision of the environment.

Luminar’s provided Lidar has the ability to feel the road ahead and notice small objects hundreds of metres in advance, giving drivers more time to prepare for any hazards and take corrective measures. The sensors also provide enhanced steering assistance during lane changes, further enhancing the dependability and performance of our assisted driving function, Pilot Assist.

Most of the essential in-car functions, from safety and infotainment to battery management, are, however, run by a core system powered by NVIDIA Drive AI platforms Xavier and Orin, Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms from Qualcomm Technologies, and in-house developed software by Volvo engineers.

Focus is measured by the amount of attention given to a particular task, and this is done with the help of cameras and sensors that run on algorithms created in-house. The technology in the Volvo EX90 goes above and beyond anything that has ever been possible in a Volvo vehicle before in terms of detecting when the driver is distracted, drowsy, or otherwise not paying attention.

The vehicle will gently nudge the driver at first, before becoming more forceful. Even if the driver nods off or becomes ill while behind the wheel, the Volvo EX90 can come to a controlled halt and initiate an emergency call for assistance.

In terms of in-car entertainment, we have combined the cutting-edge processing power of Snapdragon Cockpit Platforms with the visualisation capabilities of Unreal Engine, a 3D tool developed by Epic Games and used to power some of the world’s largest video games, to deliver blazing-fast processing and high-quality graphics on the in-car screens and head-up display.

Meanwhile, a 14.5-inch vertical screen in the centre of the dashboard serves as the entry point to the available infotainment systems. With Google built in, users have access to a number of Google apps and services, such as Google Maps navigation, Google Assistant, and more from the Google Play store. Moreover, a regular 5G wireless connection is included in the car as well.

Phone key technology, which uses the driver’s smartphone in place of a traditional car key to do things like open the vehicle and play a personalised welcome song when the driver arrives, will also be standard on the Volvo EX90. Additionally, the owner’s profile will be loaded mechanically upon vehicle entry.

Drivetrain

The EX90 is equipped with innovative, self-created, all-electric technology. The WLTP test cycle estimates a range of up to 600 kilometres per charge, and a full charge can be achieved in about 30 minutes.

Twin-motor all-wheel drive variant available at launch is powered by a 111kWh battery and two permanent magnet electric motors, producing a combined 380 kW (517 hp) and 910 Nm of torque in performance configuration.

The Volvo EX90 is also the company’s first vehicle to feature hardware to allow for bi-directional charging. Technology has advanced to the point where an electric Volvo’s battery can be used to power other things, such as a home’s appliances or even another electric Volvo. The original equipment manufacturer has plans to roll out bidirectional charging in the near future, initially in a limited number of markets.

Sustainability

The Volvo EX90 has the highest percentage of recycled materials of any Volvo vehicle to date, at about 15% of the total plastic used in the vehicle (equivalent to about 48 kilos of recycled plastics and bio-based materials).

Inside, you’ll find more materials that were sourced ethically, a nod to the company’s goals to become carbon neutral and fully circular by 2040.

Defining Next-Gen Products

During its first-ever Capital Markets Day in Stockholm earlier this week, Volvo Cars reaffirmed its mid-decade ambitions. The company’s top brass updated investors and industry watchers on recent developments towards the company’s stated goals.

To become one of the quickest changers in the automotive industry and a fully electric car brand by 2030, Volvo Cars announced its strategic aspirations in 2021. It also sought to mould the future of mobility with lofty targets for environmentally friendly expansion.

During Capital Markets Day, the company’s leadership re-confirmed that the company is committed and fully focused on its mid-decade ambitions, despite the ongoing macroeconomic challenges around the world.

Among these goals is the realisation of an annual EBIT of 8-10% and the sale of 1.2 million automobiles by the middle of the decade, with a 50% share of completely electric automobiles.

Electrification and the efficacy of digitalization in creating a superior customer experience are at the heart of the growth driver. Additionally, by mid-next year, the corporation hopes to have the UK market face direct consumers, having implemented robust digital solutions.

Volvo Cars is on track to achieve its goals of becoming an employer of choice while simultaneously reducing CO2 life cycle emissions per vehicle by 40% compared to a 2018 baseline. The company noted that sustainability is key to its future success and central to its strategy and ambitions.