Volvo’s flagship all-electric EX90 approved for South Africa

With having already having started, Volvo Car South Africa has announced that it will be bringing the all-electric EX90 to market in 2025 with deliveries expected to kick-off in the second quarter.

Unveiled just under two years ago as the electric equivalent, but not the replacement, for the now hybridised XC90 that will remain in production for markets where the move towards electrification has been slower, the seven-seat EX90 will be produced at the Charleston Plant in South Carolina that formerly made the S60 for North America.

What to expect

Based on the marque’s second generation Scalable Production Architecture (SPA) platform called SPA2, which had been developed for electric vehicles from the start, the EX90 keeps hold of XC90 signatures such as the Thor’s Hammer LED headlights, vertical taillights and overall silhouette, but with a sealed grille and special aerodynamically optimised alloy wheels.

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The first production Volvo to offer LiDAR the Chinese-owned Swedish brand claims won’t “get tired or distracted”, the interior derives heavily from the smaller EX30 by featuring the new 14.5-inch infotainment system with 5G as well as the latest Google co-developed Android operating system and software.

Retaining the digital instrument binnacle controversially absent from its smaller sibling, the EX90 sports a floating centre console as well as a new sound system with speakers integrated into the headrest developed specifically for it by long-time audio partner, Bowers & Wilkins.

Most powerful Volvo ever made

In terms of power, a 111-kWh battery pack drives an electric motor on each axle for a total system output of 380kW/910Nm, which makes the EX90 more powerful than the plug-in hybrid XC90 T8 Recharge and XC60 T8 Recharge that both make 340kW/709Nm.

Exact range details are still unknown, though Volvo does project a claimed single charge distance of 600 km with a charging time of 30 minutes from 0-80% using a DC charging outlet.

More soon

Billed as the “start of a new era” for Volvo by company CEO Jim Rowan, exact details regarding price and specification for South Africa are only expected before the official commencing of sales next year.

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