Volvo’s flagship electric SUV will debut on November 9th and will be called the EX90, confirmed CEO Jim Rowan in a media presentation on Wednesday.
Reinforcing its safety reputation, Volvo also claims that the EX90 will be its safest model to date, thanks in large part to state-of-the-art sensors and software that can reduce crashes resulting in serious injuries or death by 20%.
Volvo announced last year that the then-unnamed electric SUV would feature lidar and next-level software and processing. The sensor suite of the EX90 is expected to include a roof-mounted lidar sensor, eight cameras, five radar sensors, and 16 ultrasonic sensors to enable various driver-assistance functions. This will include a hands-free highway driving assistance system called Ride Pilot.
One of the new technologies to debut in the EX90 will be an advanced driver distraction monitor that uses in-house-developed algorithms to measure concentration through gaze. This will be able to detect distractions, fatigue, or other forms of inattention “beyond what has been possible in a Volvo car to date,” according to the automaker.
Volvo is expected to sell both the EX90 and a next-generation XC90, a model currently available with gasoline and plug-in hybrid engines. The next-generation XC90 will use a new platform called SPA2, but the EX90 is expected to get its own skateboard platform.
The South Carolina plant where the EX90 will be manufactured will be ready to switch between the hybrid XC90 and this all-electric model. The same plant will also manufacture the Polestar 3 electric SUV for Volvo’s Polestar brand. Volvo has stated that it will make this plant fully electric ahead of others, even those in China.
