All-electric Volvo ES90 debuts with 435 mile range and 671bhp
Volvo has revealed its new ES90 EV sedan, which packs a headline-stealing 435-mile range and the ability to add 186 miles of charge in just 10 minutes.
The all-new 800V electrical architecture underpinning the Volvo ES90 has lighter e-motors than previous Volvo EVs, as well as upgraded battery cells, a new inverter, plus new climate and thermal systems.
As such, it goes further and charges faster than any EV that the Swedish carmaker has built before. This will also see the Volvo ES90 capable of traveling 15 miles further than the Mercedes EQS 450 4Matic; one of the most capable EVs in terms of range on sale in the UK today.
In line with Volvo’s sustainability pledge, the battery of the ES90 comes with the brand’s blockchain-based ‘battery passport’, which tracks where the lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite used in its construction are sourced.
To reduce the CO2 emissions from the ES90’s production, Volvo says that 29% of the aluminium and 18% of the steel used in the all-electric saloon’s manufacture is recycled, as are 16% of the polymers and bio-based materials. Inside, the wood panels used are maded from FSC-certified wood. Like the its larger SUV cousins, the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 SUV, the Volvo ES90 is built on parent company Geely’s electric-only SPA2 platform.
The Volvo ES90 is available in two trim levels – Plus and Ultra – with three choices of motor. The entry-level Single Motor comes with a 92kWh battery capable of 404 miles of range. Its rear-mounted motor produces 328bhp with 354lb ft of torque, and a 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds.
The mid-tier Twin Motor has a 106kWh battery producing the 435-mile range, 442bhp, 494lb ft of torque, and a 0-62mph time of 5.6 seconds.
Meanwhle the flagship ES90 Twin Motor Performance returns 671bhp and 642lb ft of torque, which is enough for a 0-62mph run in just four seconds. Despite the jump in power, the Twin Motor Performance retains a 435-mile range. Irrespective of trim or power level, the Volvo ES90 has a top speed of 112mph.
According to Volvo, the ES90 is “fully in a class of its own” and brings together “the refined elegance of a sedan, the adaptability of a fastback, and the spacious interior and higher ground clearance of an SUV.” From the side and rear 3/4, the Volvo ES90 is not to dissimilar to the Polestar 4; albeit one with a rear window.
Up front, the ES90 retains a contemporary, pixelated version of Volvo’s ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights it has been using since the late 2010s, while a blanked out front end is similar to that seen on its other two bespoke EVs – the smaller EX30 crossover and the EX90. On the roof sits a visible LiDAR stack, which – unlike the EX90 – will be fully operational from the outset.
Inside, the ES90’s cabin is largely similar to that of the EX90 thanks to the minimalist aesthetic, nine-inch driver’s information cluster, and a centrally-mounted 14.5-inch central display. The ES90 drops the EX90’s rotary volume control in favour of a roller switch.
In terms of further technologies, the Volvo says that the ES90 will be a “software-defined car” that will “continuously evolve and improve through core computing technology, constant connectivity and data”. Thanks to its dual NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin autonomous vehicle development platform, the ES90 will be the most powerful Volvo ever built thanks to a computing power of 508 trillion operations per-second.
Order books for the Volvo ES90 are set to open in spring 2025. Prices will start from £69,650, which positions it well within the ballpark of the rivaling BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE. Top-end cars will cost around £88,000.
Production of the Volvo ES90 will begin at one of Volvo’s factories in China in late summer, meaning that cars will not arrive in on UK shores until early 2026.
