With the new, fully electric ES90, set to start production later this summer and produced using climate-neutral energy, Volvo Cars launches a car designed with sustainability in mind. This is reflected in the new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) report for the ES90, which describes the materials and processes that contribute to the car’s carbon footprint throughout its life cycle.
The total carbon footprint of the ES90 is 31 tonnes when charged using a European energy mix. When using wind energy to charge the ES90, that figure falls to 26 tonnes.
With a European energy mix, the ES90’s footprint is approximately 50 per cent lower than the Volvo S90 mild hybrid variant, and 30 per cent lower than a plug-in hybrid S90. It is also lower than the EX40 and EC40.
This means the ES90 has one of the lowest carbon footprints among all Volvo cars to date. It also demonstrates that fully electric cars are a good choice for both customers and the climate.
The third-party verified LCA report identifies the key contributing materials and processes to the car’s carbon footprint. Focused on greenhouse gas emissions, the report covers the car’s life cycle, starting with the extraction and refining of raw materials and ending with the car’s end-of-life.
When it launched its first fully electric car in 2019, Volvo Cars was the first car maker to pledge to release LCA reports for all its global fully electric models.
By publicly issuing the reports, the company aims to help customers make informed decisions when choosing their next electric car. It has since issued LCA reports for five models: the Volvo EX40, EC40, EX30, EX90 and now the ES90.
In addition to being a fully electric car with zero tailpipe emissions, the ES90 has been designed with a holistic approach towards sustainability. For example, it is the first Volvo car equipped with the company’s new 800-volt electric system.
This creates benefits in terms of charging and energy efficiency, thanks to lighter components that reduce the car’s overall weight. The car’s design also helps improve efficiency, delivering a drag coefficient of 0.25, the best in Volvo Cars’ history.
The ES90 is built with approximately 29 per cent recycled aluminium, 18 per cent recycled steel, as well as 16 per cent recycled polymers and bio-based materials, including real FSC-certified wood in the cabin. Inside, customers can choose a Nordico upholstery option made from recycled materials, such as PET bottles and bio-based materials.
The ES90 also comes with Volvo Cars’ world-first battery passport, based on blockchain technology that allows the company to track the origin of raw materials and the overall health of the battery.
The first customer-bound ES90 will roll off the production line this summer. It is available for order now in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Additional markets will be added later this year and in 2026.