Volvo’s EX90 electric SUV won’t launch quite when the automaker originally planned to. The company says it’s pushing back the introduction of the model on the marker by between five and six months.
The reason? Volvo CEO Jim Rowan points the finger at “the complexity of the software code” of the vehicle’s LiDAR system, which incorporates drive assist and safety systems within the vehicle. The EX90 is the first Volvo model to incorporate LiDAR, and it will standard equipment and not an option, unlike in other models on the market, including the Polestar 3.
Rowan confirmed the delay on the company’s earnings call on July 20, as reported by Automotive News. He explained then that “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.” A delay gives Volvo’s engineers some time to carry out all necessary checks and tests.
The postponement means that customers won’t start getting the EX90 they ordered before the third quarter of 2024. The EV will be built at Volvo’s plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina, but instead of that getting underway late this year as planned, production will now likely start in 2024.