Category: Volvo

VOLVO EX90 CLAIMS WORLD LUXURY CAR TITLE The all-electric Volvo EX90 is the most impressive new luxury car launched in the past 12 months, says the World Car Awards expert jury Our seven-seater family SUV claims the title of World Luxury Car, convincing the jury with its comfortable and refined interior, advanced technology and distinctive Scandinavian design. The EX90 took the crown as the results were announced at the New York International Auto Show during a World Car Awards ceremony. The jury, made up of 96 car journalists from 30 countries, was won over during extensive test drives where they could fully appreciate the silent yet powerful ride of the EX90, along with its ergonomic and luxurious interior designed for long-journey comfort. “We’re pleased to see the EX90 get the recognition it truly deserves,” says Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive officer of Volvo Cars. “It was up against some tough competition, but this award proves that the EX90 appeals to some of the most demanding customers across the world.” The design approach for the EX90 is straightforward and boils down to some of the underlying fundamentals of Scandinavian design. An important aspect is that form follows function, meaning designing for a purpose. “This award proves that the EX90 appeals to some of the most demanding customers across the world.”   For the EX90, we drew inspiration from yacht design to create sleek proportions. The front end is confident, yet smoothly rounded, allowing air to flow optimally around the car. This design, combined with flush elements such as side glazing, also significantly improves aerodynamics and efficiency. Integrating the LiDAR on the EX90 was an aerodynamic challenge, but worthwhile due to its contribution to safety when combined with cameras, radars and ultrasonic sensors. Together, they provide a detailed image of what’s going on around the car. The LiDAR helps detect vulnerable road users up to 200 metres away, even in complete darkness. The challenge lies in its placement: to maximise its effectiveness, the LiDAR needs to be positioned high on the roof. To reduce aerodynamic drag and maintain the car’s sleek proportions, it’s integrated at the centre of the roofline. It sits just at the top of the windshield, under a low-profile cover – a nearly seamless solution. Another key feature of the electric design is the longer wheelbase and flat floor inside the car, possible thanks to short overhangs and the battery placed low between the wheels. This opens the interior space for passengers and allows for greater modularity and ergonomics, as well as new design possibilities. Inside the cabin, which is among the quietest of the segment, the EX90 introduces new progressive materials that highlight Volvo Cars’ unique perspective on modern luxury. Nordico, for example, is a bio-attributed leather-free upholstery with an elegant look. This smooth material is made from recycled materials and bio-attributed material from forests in Sweden and Finland. The advanced interior LED technology, which reproduces a light spectrum close to natural sunlight, and the back-lit FSC-certified wood decor add to the ambience onboard. Thanks to its true seven-seater configuration, the EX90 comes with a perk that is rare in its segment: ample trunk space. With all seven seats up, the EX90 has a load capacity of up to 310 litres behind the third row. With the third row folded, the storage capacity goes up to 655 litres, which makes the EX90 stand out among many of its peers. With this title, Volvo Cars has won three World Car Awards, including the overall 2018 World Car of the year for the Volvo XC60 and 2024 World Urban Car for the Volvo EX30. In 2018, Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson was the inaugural winner of the World Car Person of the Year award.

Volvo Cars to build EX30 small SUV in Ghent as part of global production capacity boost Responding to strong demand for the car, Volvo Cars has decided that it will start building the new fully electric Volvo EX30 in its Ghent plant in Belgium from 2025, expanding production capacity for its celebrated small SUV. The EX30 was revealed earlier this year to almost universal acclaim and has already won several major awards, including The Sun Car of the Year and the Small SUV/Crossover of the Year award from the Sunday Times. Production of the EX30 started earlier this fall in Zhangjiakou, China and the first cars are scheduled to reach customers later this year. The decision to also build the EX30 in Ghent boosts production capacity for the expected EX30 demand in Europe as well as for global export, and reflects Volvo Cars’ ambition to build its cars where it sells them as much as possible. The decision also adds production flexibility for what the company expects to be one of its best-selling models in coming years. This approach is a proven concept for Volvo Cars, which builds its top-selling XC60 and XC40 SUVs in both Europe and China. “Our ambition is to sell the EX30 around the world at an attractive price point, easing the transition to driving an electric Volvo car for more people while also contributing to company margins,” said Jim Rowan, Volvo Cars’ chief executive. “Adding production in Ghent is a logical move as we aim to capture the strong demand for our exciting small electric SUV across the globe.” Volvo Cars has one of the most ambitious electrification plans in the automotive industry and plans to sell only fully electric cars by 2030. Already by mid-decade, it aims for half of its global sales volume to consist of fully electric cars. The EX30 plays a crucial role in those plans, as Volvo Cars expects it to contribute significantly to its growth and profitability objectives. This makes the EX30 a cornerstone of Volvo Cars’ ongoing strategic transformation. Joining the XC40 and C40 models on the Ghent production line, the EX30 is the third fully electric Volvo model to be produced in Europe. This strengthens Volvo Cars’ electric car production capabilities in the region and underlines the important role of the Ghent plant in the company’s electrification strategy. Volvo Cars in 2022For the full year 2022, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of SEK 22.3 billion. Revenue in 2022 amounted to SEK 330.1 billion, while global sales reached 615,121 cars.  About Volvo Car GroupVolvo Cars was founded in 1927. Today, it is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales to customers in more than 100 countries. Volvo Cars is listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange, where it is traded under the ticker “VOLCAR B”.  Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This is reflected in its ambition to become a fully electric car maker by 2030 and in its commitment to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.  As of December 2022, Volvo Cars employed approximately 43,200 full-time employees. Volvo Cars’ head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars’ production plants are located in Gothenburg, Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu, Daqing and Taizhou (China). The company also has R&D and design centres in Gothenburg and Shanghai (China).