If you want an electric SUV, crossover or sedan, you’re out of options right now. Kia EV6? Rivian R1S? Volvo EX30? All great selections.
But what if you want a minivan?
To date, there has only really been one electric minivan option – the Volkswagen ID.Buzz – and while it’s a very nice minivan, it’s not the most practical for everyone. That’s where the new Volvo EM90 comes in.
It looks like the Volvo EM90 could become the electric minivan of choice for those who want something practical and stylish. It boasts minimalist Volvo design language, fast EV performance and a massive range of 450 miles. Are you curious about purchasing a Volvo EM90 for yourself? Here’s everything you need to know.
Volvo EM90 Design
Volvo has been refreshing the design of its electric cars over the past few years to such an extent that most modern Volvos look sleek, stylish and modern. The new Volvo EX30 and EX90, for example, are some of the better-looking new cars. The Volvo EM90 retains many of those design cues, including thin segmented headlights at the front and a generally minimalist look.
Of course, there’s only so much you can do to make a minivan look sleek and stylish – but its weaknesses in design are also its strengths in size. The Volvo EM90 is big and boxy, making for a ton of space inside the vehicle.
Volvo EM90 interior and technology
Minivans are all about carrying people around, and Volvo is marketing the EM90 as a so-called living room on wheels. What does it mean? Well, as you’d expect from a minivan, there’s plenty of room. The EM90 offers six seats, made up of two front seats, two lounge seats in the second row, and a bench in the third row that provides enough space for two more seats.
Like other modern Volvo vehicles, the EM90 is also quite tech-heavy. The minivan offers a large 15.4-inch infotainment screen, which is coupled with a digital instrument cluster. Although Volvo hasn’t confirmed what kind of software runs on the EM90, if it’s like other Volvo cars, it’ll have Android Automotive, and it’ll support Android Auto and CarPlay.
Volvo EM90 range and charging
As mentioned, the Volvo EM90 offers a whopping 450 miles of electric range – although it’s important to take that figure with a grain of salt. This is due to the fact that the range ratings are certified by China’s version of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – but China’s version is far more optimistic. Generally, a good rule of thumb is that cars typically get about two-thirds the EPA rating of the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CTLC) rating.
Still, this will give the Volvo EM90 a range of about 300 miles, which isn’t bad – but on par with other electric vehicles out there right now. Volvo hasn’t released the charging speed for the car, though it’s expected to charge in less than 30 minutes.
Volvo EM90 performance
One of the best things about electric cars is the fact that they benefit from providing instant power, instant torque. The Volvo EM90 is heavy and built to prioritize range over performance, but it’s still relatively quick for a vehicle of this type. It will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds. This doesn’t affect the faster electric cars out there, but allows you to get up to speed reasonably quickly.
Volvo EM90 price and release date
Are you interested in purchasing a Volvo EM90 for yourself? Well, we have some bad news – as of now, the EM90 is only being released in China. Word from Volvo was that the EM90 “will come to China first”, suggesting more markets will follow. But it didn’t actually announce those markets, or any timeline for when it might get a wider release.
If you live in China, we have even worse news: the EM90 is expected to sell for $114,000, which puts it closer to a Mercedes EQS than a simple Toyota Sienna.
The good news is that automakers are clearly working on a more electric form factor. Hopefully, this will continue – and we’ll get more big electric cars in the near future.