The Volvo ES90 Electric Sedan Could be Unveiled in 2024

• This new sedan should replace the current S90 as a competitor to the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE.

• At least one verification prototype has already been built.

• The car is expected to use a 111-kWh battery, for a targeted range of 600 kilometres.

Volvo is working on a new electric sedan to replace the current S90, and this upcoming model could be officially unveiled in the coming months.

Indeed, the Chinese-owned Swedish automaker has recently published a picture on its employee intranet that shows members of its Zhejiang production team standing around the first verification prototype for the ES90, still known internally as V551.

A verification prototype is a car which is built with the methods and materials the manufacturer intends to use for full-scale production in order to make sure all of the details and issues have been worked out before customer cars start rolling down the line.

This means that the actual production of the Volvo ES90 could start in the coming months, with the car ready to launch in time for the 2025 model year.

Alongside the picture (which doesn’t show much of the car itself), some information has leaked regarding the technical aspects of the upcoming ES90.

For example, we now know that the Volvo ES90 will feature a total length of 4,999 millimetres, a width of 1,945 mm and a height of 1,547 mm. Its wheelbase will be a long 3,100 mm.

In comparison with the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE with which it will compete, the Volvo ES90 will be almost the same length as the EQE and thus shorter than the i5, narrower than the EQE but wider than the i5, and higher than both rivals. Its wheelbase will also be set between the larger EQE and the smaller i5.

When compared with the current S90, the upcoming ES90 will be shorter, wider, higher, and it will feature a longer wheelbase.

Speaking of the current S90, this model could continue to be offered for a few years to compete with Mercedes and BMW, which have both developed gasoline-powered versions of their new E-Class and 5 Series.

In addition to the model’s dimensions, details about the powertrains of the ES90 have also filtered through.

While preliminary reports indicated the new sedan could share its platform with the upcoming Polestar 5, we know expect it to use the SPA2 architecture which underpins the EX90 electric SUV instead, most likely for cost and production reasons.

This means that the ES90 will be able to accommodate both 400 and 800-volt electrical architectures, as well as a 111-kWh battery, which should be good for about 600 kilometres of range, using the CLTC testing method.

Rumours say that the ES90 was developed alongside the Geely Galaxy E8 and the Zeekr 7, two large electric sedans which were recently unveiled in China.

Like these two siblings, the Volvo ES90 should be available with either a single-motor rear-wheel drive powertrain or a dual-motor configuration that will provide traction to all four wheels.

As the launch of this model seems just around the corner, more details are expected soon.

Source: Autocar