Volvo EX60 to become UK's longest-legged EV with 503-mile range

Volvo has confirmed that the forthcoming EX60 electric SUV will offer 503 miles of range between charges, which will make it the longest-legged EV on sale in the UK.

That is thanks in part to a large, 106kWh battery, though the EX60 is also more efficient than the rival BMW iX3, which gets 500 miles of range from a 108.7kWh (usable capacity) pack.

It is enough range to drive from London to Dundee (480 miles) without stopping to charge or, as Volvo notes, from Paris to Amsterdam.

The EX60 will also be capable of recharging at up to 400kW, refilling 211 miles of range within 10 minutes at a suitably fast charger. 

Volvo said the EX60, due to be unveiled on 21 January, is intended to be a "no-compromises electric car" and will form the "cornerstone" of the brand's future line-up.  

Though much remains to be revealed, the model appears to have a low bonnet line and a smoother, more aerodynamic design than its combustion-engined counterpart, the XC60.

Narrow front headlights featuring Volvo's 'Thor's hammer' design, similar to those on the EX90 large SUV, can also be seen in preview images of the car.

Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson previously said the EX60 has been "designed and developed in Gothenburg" and "can't get much more Swedish". 

The new technology base that the EX60 will use is Volvo's advanced, highly scalable SPA3 platform, which is effectively a successor to the platform that underpins the EX90 and ES90 saloon. This new architecture will allow Volvo to add both smaller and larger cars to its line-up and can accommodate a wide range of battery sizes.

As with those models, the EX60 will be designed around an advanced software stack, giving it the capability to accept over-the-air updates and extra features.

Anders Bell, Volvo's engineering and technology chief, called the SPA3 platform "100% electric and 100% Volvo Cars", rather than a platform shared with other brands owned by Chinese giant and Volvo parent Geely, such as the SEA platform used for the smaller EX30 crossover.

"Because it's 100% electric, we've been able to remove all the old constraints of the combustion engine," said Bell. "We very much took a first-principles approach to it. You will see the highest level of supremely well-integrated technology coming together in these products."