► Volvo’s making an electric Espace!
► EM90 is destined for the Chinese market
► Launch date scheduled for 12 November
Volvo has teased a new pure-electric MPV called the EM90. It’ll be unveiled in a few days on 12 November 2023 – and pre-orders will start in China the second its car cover hits the floor. It’s the latest step in Volvo’s electrification strategy, which will culminate in the firm becoming an EV-only car maker by 2030.
Today the Swedes have teased the six-seater EM90’s new chairs – proper luxe armchairs in the finest Volvo tradition, seen here with high-mounted winglets to ensconce the passengers. The company has long had a reputation for ergonomically designed seats and we suspect these pews will go down well with osteopaths and those struggling with back pain.
The special lounge chairs have what Volvo calls ‘zero-gravity cushions with a seven-layer structure and a thickness exceeding 120mm, including high-density damping layers for both comfort and support.’ Sounds cosseting stuff…
There’s all the usual versatility, including massage functions, heating and chilling, and a variety of integrated tables and cupholders.
EM90: a new type of people-carrying Volvo
Volvo says the EM90 was ‘designed for you to make the most of the time spent in the car, like a Scandinavian living room on the move.’ The firm’s teaser material certainly suggests the cabin will feature some of the comforts of home. Zoom in on the image, peer through the sunroof and you’ll find plush individual seats in the back and a stylish centre console that wouldn’t look out of place in one of Ikea’s more expensive show suites.
Volvo hasn’t yet confirmed what’ll power the new EM90, but we expect it’ll be based on the same architecture as the Chinese-market Zeekr 009. Zeekr is another brand controlled by Volvo’s parent company Geely and, like the EM90, the 009 is a luxury electric MPV. The Zeekr shares the same SEA platform as the Lotus Eletre – and it’s available with a dual-motor powertrain with an output of 536bhp.
That much power stands to make the 009 (and, by extension, the EM90), the fastest MPV on the market, with a likely 0–62mph time in the region of just 4.5 seconds. The Zeekr’s maximum range is impressive, too.
Its powertrain is fed by a gargantuan 140kWh battery pack which offers a maximum claimed range of 511 miles (according to Chinese homologation tests). Your bladder or stomach will need attention before the battery does…
Why has Volvo suddenly decided to build an MPV?
Volvo’s decision to launch an electric MPV took us by surprise because, over the past few months, the firm has been working to trim any cars from its line-up that aren’t SUVs. The firm has already stopped selling its estate cars and saloons in the UK – and all the EVs the brand has planned launch in the next few years are tall-riding crossovers. It’s what the market wants, it claims.
We suspect Volvo decided to build an MPV because it was easy and it made financial sense for its aspirations in the Chinese car market. The underpinnings were already developed for Zeekr and there’s a strong demand for premium cars with loads of space in the back in China. It’s a drastic change of tack for the firm, though. The EM90 will become Volvo’s first-ever MPV – and it’ll also be the first new Volvo that isn’t an SUV since the S60 saloon was launched in 2019.
Unfortunately, Volvo says it currently has no plans to bring the EM90 to the UK – and we can understand why. The UK market has shown a definite preference for Volvo’s SUVs. Less than 10% of British customers opted for an estate or a saloon in the company’s 60 and 90 ranges in 2023, the company says, sparking their demise.
Officials claim it would be a risk to introduce a car like the EM90 in Blighty, because there’s a chance it would flop.