By Michael Elkins
Swedish carmaker, Volvo (OTC:VLVLY) unveiled its newest electric SUV on Wednesday. The EX90 is the company’s newest flagship EV. The EX90 comes with three-row seven-person seating and a 111 kWh battery pack powering a pair of permanent magnet electric motors for 380 kW.
The EX90 is the first Volvo to offer bi-directional charging capabilities, which enable drivers to use their vehicles as home-scale batteries in the event of power outages. Similar to capabilities displayed by Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and the Ford F-150 Lightning. Volvo plans on selling home charging equipment as well including a wall box and energy management system.
“The Volvo EX90 is a statement for where we are, and where we are going,” said Jim Rowan, chief executive. “It’s fully electric with a range of up to 600 kilometers on a single charge, designed to further raise our safety standards, the first Volvo car to be truly defined by its software and part of a wider ecosystem, connecting to your home and your other devices. The Volvo EX90 is the start of something new for Volvo Cars in many ways.”
The standard safety in the Volvo EX90 is also higher than any Volvo car before it. The Volvo EX90 has state-of-the art sensors like cameras, radars and lidar that are connected to the car’s high-performance core computers, where NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) DRIVE runs Volvo Cars’ in-house software to create a real-time, 360-degree view of the world. The sensors are designed to respond and react when you’re just a fraction too late.
The EX90 electric SUV will go on sale alongside its gas-powered sibling, the XC90, in model year 2024. The SUV will enjoy over-the-air software updates just like the rest of Volvo’s electric vehicle models. Though, Volvo has begun expanding that service out to hybrid and ICE models as well.