Volvo EX90 finally gains key safety systems in major upgrade

Volvo has given the EX90 major hardware and software upgrades, adding previously promised safety features to existing cars and boosting the electricals to 800V for 2026-model-year cars.

The software upgrade means the electric SUV gains an additional Nvidia Drive AGX Orin processor (in place of an older Nvidia Xavier chip) to run its 'brain', bringing it in line with the new ES90.

This boost in power to 500 TOPS (trillion operations per second) unlocks a host of additional safety features through the car’s lidar sensor. 

This includes the ability to steer away from pedestrians and cyclists in the dark and come to a controlled stop if the driver falls ill. It also expands the car’s automatic parking ability. 

While part of the MY26 update, the upgrade will also be available to existing EX90 owners via a free workshop upgrade, Volvo said.

It comes six months after the first EX90s were delivered to customers, sparking criticism that early adopters would need to wait for an upgrade before being able to use all promised safety features.

Speaking previously, engineering boss Anders Bell called it a “unique” situation where Volvo would be able to do the retrofit hardware update because relatively few cars would make it to market with that system. 

Additionally, the new computing power unlocks the ability for bigger and more impactful over-the-air software updates. Volvo plans to launch four major software upgrades per year, alongside regular updates.

The MY26 EX90 also comes with the ES90’s 800V electrical system for its SPA2 platform – double the voltage in the current EX90.

This increases the battery's maximum rapid speed from 250kW to 350kW, meaning 155 miles of range can now be added in just 10 minutes.

The increase in speed is also achieved because the new system reduces heat generation during charging, enabling faster speeds.

What’s more, the new system is said be able to deliver faster acceleration, although Volvo hasn't disclosed a new 0-62mph time. The current car in range-topping Twin Motor Performance guise can achieve the feat in 4.9sec.

Volvo says the efficiency of the new system also means a smaller battery and motors can be fitted to the car, meaning less materials and a lighter weight.