Volvo Teases New ES90 All-Electric Sedan

by · Forbes
An elusive teaser photo of the upcoming Volvo ES90.Volvo

Volvo has offered the XC90 SUV since 2002. Then the all-new EX90 all-electric SUV started deliveries this month. Now, Volvo is unveiling the ES90.

Earlier this month, the Swedish company teased an upcoming electric sedan while promoting its two 90 series flagship SUVs: the XC90 plug-in hybrid and EX90 all-new electric. The XC90 will be updated in 2025 with a new front end and improved hardware and infotainment technology.

While only a few ambiguous photos were released and shown at a dedicated 90/90 Day event in Gothenburg, Sweden in early September, the company confirmed a few details. It will be all-electric, a sedan and we’ll hear more in March. At the livestreamed event, Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan hinted that “You might see another type of 90.”

The Volvo ES90 teaser.Volvo

The ES90 will be the first all-electric sedan from Volvo. The automaker has leaned into SUVs and even with its delayed EX30, the new EV is still an SUV despite its smaller stature. Volvo sedans of the gas-powered variety have had flagging sales in the U.S. for years. As of the end of August, Volvo U.S. retail sales totaled 797 S90 vehicles for the year.

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But Volvo assures that it’s only adding to the lineup, not taking anything away. With an electric ES90 (it’s following the electric nomenclature of its SUVs by adding an E in front of the S90 name) it’ll continue expanding its electrification goals, despite setbacks in widespread adoption. Volvo has accepted that plug-in hybrids, like the XC90 PHEV, are a necessary step before going all electric. There’s already the S90 Recharge version (starting at $65,650) that plugs in with up to 38 miles of battery-only range.

But with EVs dominated by crossovers, there’s a pent-up demand for smaller options like the Tesla Model 3 or Hyundai Ioniq 6. Spin-off brand Polestar straddled the line between sedan and crossover with its Polestar 2, but then firmly veered into SUV territory with its next Polestar 3.

Lucid debuted as an electric brand with its luxury Air sedan, but its next car will be, yes, an SUV called Gravity. Even Porsche and Mercedes-Benz fell into bigger EV temptation. Both the Taycan and EQS sedans have bigger versions (the Taycan Cross Turismo and EQS SUV, respectively).

Volvo is staying quiet on any telling details other than some general technology hints for its future EVs, which includes the ES90 and EX60—another electric SUV based on Volvo’s bestseller XC60.