How about a new, fully electric Volvo car that can go a little further with less charging time? The upcoming Volvo ES90 does precisely that, thanks to Volvo’s new 800V technology, which debuted in the company’s latest fully electric model.
The benefits of an 800-volt electric system are numerous: your battery gets charged faster, your electric car improves overall performance, and the electric system is more efficient than a 400-volt system.
Combine this with utterly new battery management software and hardware and a progressive design, and you get a car that goes further and charges faster than any electric Volvo before. The ES90 can add a 300-kilometer range in 10 minutes at 350 kW fast charging stations and offers a driving range of up to 700 kilometers under the WLTP testing cycle.
The ES90 is designed to be a premium Volvo car that gives you quality time with the people you love, providing you with peace of mind and balance and a sense of convenience and control. A state-of-the-art electric system that enables faster charging and more extended range is key to achieving that ambition. No matter where or how far your trip goes, the ES90 is designed to get you there reliably and comfortably.
To create our new 800-volt system, every component in the electric system has been upgraded to be compatible with 800-volt, including the battery cells, e-motors, inverter, charging and thermal systems. That creates benefits in terms of charging, efficiency and performance.
A higher-voltage system can deliver more power (in kilowatts, or kW) and range with the same current as a 400-volt system. This approach generates less heat, meaning your battery can be charged faster up to 350kW without overloading the electric system.
Volvo Cars’ 800-volt system also contains lighter e-motors and other components, reducing the car’s overall weight. This improves the system’s efficiency while boosting the car’s acceleration and driving range.
The brand new, in-house-developed battery management software creates a more robust charging experience. Compared to other electric Volvo cars, the company’s latest software cuts the time to charge the ES90 from 10 to 80 percent by 30 percent, down to 20 minutes.
This is partly thanks to the integration of adaptive charging software from Breathe Battery Technologies, a company Volvo Cars invested in last year via the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, our corporate venture capital arm.
However, battery technology is not the only area where the ES90 is a star performer. It also helps us make progress in other sustainability-related areas.
For example, the ES90 is packed with recycled and natural materials that contribute to lower CO2 emissions in production.
Twenty-nine per cent of the aluminium used in the ES90 is recycled, as are 16 per cent of all polymers and 18 per cent of all steel, while the wood panels inside the ES90 are made from FSC-certified wood.
The ES90 also comes with Volvo Cars‘ battery passport, which is based on blockchain technology that allows the company to track raw materials.
The passport tells you where the lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite used in the battery originate from. It also highlights the entire battery pack’s CO2 footprint and other relevant information. For customers, this provides transparency about how Volvo sources raw battery material responsibly.
The ES90 will be revealed to the world on March 5. Follow the livestream via es90event.volvocars.com.
In a Nutshell
- The WLTP driving range of up to 700km translates to 740 km under the CLTC driving cycle in China and applies to the all-wheel drive variants with twin motor and 106 kWh battery.
- Charging times can vary and depend on outdoor temperature, battery condition and car condition. Our charging time was based on testing at 350 kW charging facilities.
- All figures and WTLP mentioned above are specific to the European market. US specifications and EPA range are not currently available.