After introducing us to the “brain” of the Volvo ES90, the Swedish carmaker is now revealing early details of powertrain that will feature in its upcoming electric sedan that is set to make its debut on March 5. To start, the ES90 will be the first Volvo model to use an 800V electrical architecture, which the company says is more efficient than a 400V system. Both the ES90 and EX90 are based on the SPA2 platform, although the latter is using 400V technology – it has been rumoured that the SUV will be upgraded to 800V in the future.
With 800V tech, the ES90 supports ultra-fast DC charging, with Volvo claiming 300 km of range can be added with just 10 minutes of being plugged into a charger capable of delivering 350 kW. It adds that with a new battery management software and hardware, the ES90 will deliver up to 700 km of range on a full charge following the WLTP standard.
In the small print section of the release, Volvo says the maximum range is 740 km if based on China’s generous CLTC standard. The higher figure applies to all-wheel drive variants with dual motors and a 106-kWh battery, which is one of the configurations offered.
Volvo says its 800V drive system contains lighter electric motors and other components to reduce the car’s overall weight. This is said to promote efficiency, while boosting acceleration and driving range. Additionally, the new software mentioned is said to cut the time it takes to charge the ES90 from 10-80% by as much as 30%, down to just 20 minutes.
“This is partly thanks to the integration of adaptive charging software from Breathe Battery Technologies, a company we invested in last year via the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, our corporate venture capital arm,” the company said in its release.
The design of the ES90 also impacts available range and was previously teased in shadowy images that show a sleek shape featuring conventional side mirrors and flush door handles. Fresh images accompanying the latest release reveal C-shaped taillights that are accompanied by additional light dashes on either side of the rear window, similar to what we’ve seen with the EX90 and smaller EX30.
Sustainability is something that Volvo preaches often, and the ES90 serves as another example of the company’s commitment to the cause. According to the company, 29% of all aluminium and 18% of all steel used in the ES90 is recycled. The sedan also contains 16% recycled polymers and bio-based materials, while the interior wood panels are made from FSC-certified wood.
Meanwhile, blockchain technology is used to keep track of the raw materials used for the battery. This “battery passport” includes information on where the lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite used in the battery originated from, providing transparency.
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