Volvo’s new flagship is taking time to set sail.
“Demand for the Volvo EX90 remains high, and to ensure a high-quality introduction of the car and to maximize customer benefit from its technology from Day 1, Volvo Cars needs additional time in software development and testing and is adjusting the planned start of production timing,” the company said in a statement.
The delay also impacts the Polestar 3, which shares a platform with Volvo’s upcoming top-of-the-line SUV.
The EX90 – A New Volvo Flag-Bearer
The 2024 EX90 is a 3-row electric SUV with a sophisticated new take on Volvo’s usual broad-shouldered design language and some of the most advanced new safety technologies the automotive industry has ever seen.
Its high-tech safety suite has 16 ultrasonic sensors, five radar systems, and a new LiDAR array built directly into the roofline. The sensors watch what’s happening outside the car to feed accident-avoidance technology that, Volvo says, can react to events faster than other cars because they see further down the road. They also watch inside the car — the EX90 can bring itself to a stop and call for help if its driver suffers a medical incident.
Systems that have nothing to do with safety are high-tech, too. The car’s headlights can blink in a signature pattern modeled on Thor’s hammer, That is, pixelated daytime running lights part to reveal projector lamps when it gets dark.
At launch, the EX90 will come in just one configuration — all-wheel drive (AWD) with 496 horsepower and the ability to recharge to 80% of its battery capacity in about 30 minutes from a DC fast charger.
Volvo hasn’t revealed the car’s range. Prices are under wraps, too, though CEO Jim Rowan told reporters at the car’s debut that it would be available “well-equipped for under $80,000.”
The company hasn’t revealed the final price, but that didn’t stop buyers. Volvo recently closed order books, saying it had already received enough reservations from consuming the car’s entire first production run.
The Polestar 3 – A Stylish, Powerful Alternative
Polestar isn’t Volvo, but the two companies remain closely tied together. The upcoming 2024 Polestar 3 rides on the same platform as the EX90 and uses many of the same safety technologies.
Polestar was once an in-house performance division building speedier Volvos. But the company is in the process of moving out of Dad’s house, now selling several non-Volvo products like the high-riding Polestar 2 sedan.
Future products, Polestar says, will be designed entirely by Polestar engineers. But the upcoming 3 still has Volvo bones. It’s more potent than the EX90 — good for up to 517 hp in some configurations.
It looks sleeker than the big Volvo and offers just two rows of seating.
The Polestar 3 starts at $85,300.
The two cars appear to share some of the same software. In a statement, Polestar says the company “was recently informed that additional time for final software development of the new all-electric platform shared by Volvo Cars is needed and that the start of production of Polestar 3 is now expected in the first quarter of 2024.”
Tax Credit Question Still Unclear
Both cars will be built in Volvo’s South Carolina plant. The Polestar 3, because of its price, will not qualify for federal EV tax credits. Because Volvo hasn’t revealed pricing for the EX90, we don’t yet know whether we can say the same about that car.
The United States government provides tax incentives of up to $7,500 on some EVs built in North America. But some of the tax credit depends on where critical battery minerals were mined. The credit only applies to cars priced under $55,000 and SUVs priced under $80,000. Volvo may manage to keep some versions of the EX90 under that threshold, but likely not all of them.
