Volvo EM90 gets a 116 kWh battery
Like the Zeekr 009, the Volvo EM90 is based on Geely’s SEA platform and has a 200 kW rear engine coupled with a 116 kWh battery for a range of up to 738 kilometres according to the Chinese standard CLTC. A variant with all-wheel drive will be available at a later date.
Volvo does not specify how fast the all-wheel drive vehicle will accelerate – the rear-wheel drive version is 8.3 seconds. However, the van will likely focus more on passenger comfort than driving performance. The technical data becomes more important at the charging station, where it will take 28 minutes to recharge from 10 to 80 per cent. And the EM90 has hardware that supports bidirectional charging.
The EM90 is 5.21 metres long and has a wheelbase of 3.21 metres. The vehicle is 2.02 metres wide, 1.86 metres high, and has a curb weight of 2,763 kilograms. In addition to the brand-typical Volvo front end with the T-shaped LED lights and the Volvo logo (illuminated in this case), the heavily tinted windows from the B-pillar onwards are striking – the vehicle will be designed to offer customers privacy in the traffic of Chinese megacities. As the panelling on the B, C and D pillars is also black, it seems as though the roof is floating.
As the Zeekr 009’s sister model, the EM90 also adopts numerous elements linked to semi-autonomous driving and driving assistants. The vehicle has 30 sensors, including eight cameras, radar sensors, 16 ultrasonic sensors and a lidar system. That enables Level 2+ autonomous driving.
Volvo has largely dispensed with physical buttons in the interior. The van has a 14.5-inch touchscreen in the centre and a display for the driver. There are still buttons and steering column levers on the steering wheel. Otherwise, there are only buttons in the centre console around the gear selector lever, made of cut glass in typical Volvo style, two buttons for the parking position and the hazard warning lights. The rest of the controls are on the touchscreen – with one small exception: a small remote control with buttons for the passengers to operate the infotainment system.
As a premium van, the EM90 is designed as a six-seater. Instead of a three-seater rear bench, there are two luxurious individual seats in the rear. The seats in row 2 have twelve-centimetre thick upholstery, leg rests, heating, ventilation, cupholders and folding tables. In row 3, there are cupholders and USB-C ports for charging mobile devices.
While Zeekr also offers its 001 (fastback) and X (compact crossover) models in other markets, the 009 premium electric van is only available in China. Volvo is doing the same with its offshoot. The Volvo EM90 launches on the Chinese market first and is available there from 818,000 yuan, equivalent to around 105,000 euros.
Update 06 February 2024
Geely has started series production of Volvo’s first electric van in China. The Volvo EM90, which was presented in November 2023, will be built at the Geely plant in Hangzhou and will be offered in China from 818,000 yuan, which is equivalent to around 107,000 euros. Deliveries are scheduled to start in March. however, there is no word yet on export plans for the Volvo EM90.
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