- Upcoming ES90 will get 800-volt architecture, 350-kw fast-charging
- Smaller battery than EX90 electric SUV, yet a longer range
- Recycled plastics, certified wood, and battery passport all part of eco credentials
The Volvo ES90 electric sedan will be the first of the Swedish automaker’s electric vehicles with an 800-volt electrical architecture, and will continue Volvo’s emphasis on sustainable materials.
First teased last fall, the ES90 is due to be revealed Mar. 5, but Volvo is releasing some details to build up hype ahead of that. On Wednesday, the automaker sent out a press release focused on charging and sustainability aspects of the new sedan.
On the charging side, Volvo confirmed an 800-volt electrical architecture that will allow European-spec versions of the ES90 to charge at up to 350 kw and recover up to 186 miles of range in 10 minutes of charging at that power level.
The automaker also expects the time for a 20-minute 10-80% charge, compared to 30 minutes for the EX90 SUV, with 400-volt hardware. But it hasn’t yet said whether the ES90 will also offer the bidirectional charging capability that’s been promised for the EX90.
2025 Volvo EX90
Volvo is aiming for 435 miles of range, as measured on the European WLTP testing cycle. That’s based on a dual-motor powertrain and 106-kwh battery pack, although Volvo didn’t specify whether the battery capacity was usable or gross. For reference, the EX90’s pack is 111 kwh gross, with 107 kwh usable. And it’s worth remembering that WLTP numbers don’t directly translate to the U.S. EPA cycle, although the ES90 should still manage well over 300 miles in EPA testing.
Volvo also claims that it will keep the overall carbon footprint of the ES90 with meaningful use of sustainable materials. The automaker claims 29% of the aluminum, 18% of the steel, and 16% of the plastic polymers used in the car will be recycled material, while all wood trim will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as sustainably harvested.
The ES90 will also have a blockchain-based “battery passport” that tracks the sourcing of raw materials—including cobalt, graphite, lithium, and nickel—as well as the overall carbon footprint of the battery, according to Volvo.
Volvo ES90 teased ahead of debut on March 5, 2025
While still based on the SPA2 architecture used by the EX90, the ES90 is shaping up to be a true evolution of that platform, rather than just the same components packaged in a new body style. In addition to its 800-volt electrical architecture, the ES90 will debut more powerful chips for Volvo’s Superset tech stack. Those chips will be retrofitted to EX90 models as well, under a timeline and details yet to be confirmed.
The ES90 is one of 10 new and updated models Volvo plans to introduce over the next two years. In addition to more EVs, some of them will be longer-range plug-in hybrids as Volvo backs away from a previous goal of going all-electric by 2030.