Release of Volvo EX90 EV delayed due to software development challenges

Back in November last year, Volvo announced the impending arrival of the large EX90 electric SUV. At that time the Swedish brand dubbed the moment as that start of a “new era” of electric only vehicles.

However, the release of the EX90 has been pushed back by 5-6 months, according to Volvo, due to software development challenges.

According to Automotive News Europe, Volvo Cars CEO, Jim Rowan, has flagged that Volvo’s largest electric offering was facing delays of  “five or six months” caused by the “complexity of the software code,”.

“We’re writing a lot of [the] software ourselves. We wanted to make sure that the first time we put lidar into our safety stack, it operates in the way it should,” Rowan was quoted as saying.

The addition of Lidar technology will help the EX90 be safer than previous Volvo vehicles. This is big news for a brand that is synonymous with safety technologies in vehicles.

But the Lidar integration comes with its own challenges, particularly on the software front, although it’s worth noting that Volvo is not the only company facing challenges with writing software for various technologies within vehicles.

Volkswagen Group has been struggling with software for years now, providing an overall inferior software experience in EVs to tens of thousands of customers. As reported last year, VW was seeking remedy for its software woes by a $3.7 billion spend on new joint venture (JV).

Back on the EX90, this new delay would push back the initial production timeline from late this year to 2024 for the official customer deliveries in many markets across the world.

The EX90 brings various impressive features with safety and technology being the primary focus, as can be expected from Volvo. 

At the time of its launch in November 2022, the brand described this as the most advanced car it had ever made, so it’s no surprise that there are a few hiccups in getting it to production.

It will also be the company’s first electric 7-seater vehicle, which is a segment so far ignored by many car manufacturers as part of the electrification transition. Kia also launched the EV9 earlier this year which along with the Volvo EX90 will fill a big gap in the market.

Producing 380kW of power from a dual-motor powertrain setup, the large SUV will be able to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 5.9 seconds. This powertrain is powered by a large 111 kWh battery pack with 10-80% charge achieved in just 30 minutes.

Locally, the pricing and specifications will be announced closer to the launch in Australia.