Volvo Cars’ factory outside Charleston, South Carolina, has commenced building the company’s new electric flagship SUV – and the first customer deliveries are scheduled for the second half of this year. The EX90 not only expands the brand’s portfolio of fully electric cars, but also represents a paradigm shift for the company as it is the first Volvo car powered by core computing technology – a technology that enables a new era of safety for its cars. The first customer-bound EX90 that rolled off the Charleston line was painted in ‘Denim Blue’, destined for a customer in the USA later this year.
Volvo’s chief executive Jim Rowan said: “The fully electric Volvo EX90 is the start of a new era for Volvo Cars – a new era for safety, sustainability and human-centric technology. The EX90 is proudly manufactured in the USA and reflects our long-term commitment to our people in South Carolina and the broader US market.”
Volvo’s first manufacturing plant in the USA opened in the summer of 2018 just outside Charleston and today it produces the EX90 and the S60 saloon, and has the capacity to build up to 150,000 cars annually.
In recent years, Volvo has made extensive investments in the facility. The body shop and paint shop have been renewed and expanded significantly, while the plant now also has a ‘state of the art’ battery pack production line. With these investments, its US production facility is well prepared for this new era in its still young history, and reflects Volvo’s long-term commitment to South Carolina and the USA, where Volvo Cars has operated for almost 70 years through a network of 281 dealerships across 47 states.
The EX90 is based on Volvo’s next-generation, electric vehicle (EV)technology base, with a fully electric range of up to 600km (WLTP data). The EX90 is designed to be the safest Volvo car to date, powered by next-generation passive and active safety technology and software informed by a broad suite of sensors.
Rooted in Volvo’s Scandinavian design principles, the EX90 offers modern proportions that optimise safety, efficiency and aesthetics. Thanks to its true seven-seater configuration, it is a perfect companion for the entire family, full of space, versatility and comfort. It comes with a powerful core system, is always connected and can be improved over time through software updates.
These updates are delivered by Volvo’s software engineers, enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) and informed by real-time data collection. The EX90 is a testament to the car manufacturer’s global engineering capabilities and reaffirms its position as a leader in the ongoing technology shift in the car industry.