Volvo’s First-Ever Minivan is the All-Electric EM90
Volvo has finally unveiled the brand new minivan it had been teasing for months. The EM90 will first go on sale in China, where demand for this type of family hauler is particularly strong, and then expand to other Asian markets. Don’t expect to see it in North America, however.
So, why should you even care? Well, the EM90 is yet another example of the Swedish automaker’s commitment to not only become all-electric by 2030, but also to meet the needs of different customers—hot on the heels of the EX30 small crossover that we got to test drive for the first time in Spain earlier this month.
A spiritual heir to the Volvo Duett from the 1960s, the EM90 minivan shares many components with the Zeekr 009, another similar product from parent company Geely. Obviously, styling is unique with a signature Volvo grille and Thor’s Hammer headlights, both of which have been given a new treatment.
In terms of size, the EM90 stands about 5.2 metres long, 2 metres wide and nearly 1.9 metres tall, with a wheelbase of 3.2 metres. That makes it slightly larger than the conventional minivans sold in our part of the globe.
A single 268-horsepower electric motor drives the big Volvo’s rear wheels, enabling 0-100 km/h sprints in 8.3 seconds, which is fairly decent. Meanwhile, the CATL-sourced 116kWh battery provides a range of up to 738 km based on the Chinese test cycle—probably just under 500 km if we were to use North American standards. It can charge from 10-80 in a bit less than 30 minutes, Volvo claims.
A two-motor variant could follow at some point but remains unspecified for now. The Zeekr 009 offers one, generating a total of 536 horsepower and accelerating from 0-100 km/h in as little as 4.5 seconds. Not bad for a minivan, eh?
Before we wrap this up, we need to talk about the luxurious and tech-laden cabin of the EM90. No passengers are treated more regally than those sitting in the second row, where the heated and ventilated captain’s chairs feature power reclining seatbacks and power folding legrests. Overhead is a 15.6-inch entertainment display for watching movies or playing video games.
Up front, drivers face a clean, elegant dashboard combining a simple digital instrument cluster with a 15.4-inch centre touchscreen. In typical Volvo fashion, physical controls are almost completely eliminated, while a comprehensive suite of state-of-the-art safety and driver assistance features serve as a guardian angel.
The new Volvo EM90 can already be ordered in China starting at 818,000 yuan, which is roughly equivalent to $158,000 CAD. Consider this: the most expensive Volvo you can buy at the moment is the XC90 Recharge plug-in hybrid SUV that doesn’t even top $100,000 in its most upscale trim level.