This is the Volvo EM90, a full-size full-electric MPV for the Chinese car market. I met this Agate Black example on a second-hand car market in south Beijing earlier this summer.
Volvo is a Swedish-Chinese automaker. Or perhaps, these days, it’s more like Chinese-Swedish. The Geely Group is Volvo’s owner. Volvo launched the EM90 in China in late 2023.
It is the first-ever Volvo MPV. The manufacturer is Volvo Asia Pacific (沃尔沃亚太, Wò’ērwò Yàtài). This is a special Geely subsidiary, making Volvo cars in China for the Chinese market. So, a Volvo imported from Sweden or Belgium is not a Volvo Asia Pacific car.
Volvo or Zeekr?
The Volvo EM90 is largely based on the Zeekr 009 MPV, which launched in 2022. Zeekr is another Geely-owned brand. Happily, the shop also had a 009 on display in the parking lot, so it’s easy to see how closely related they are. Volvo redesigned the nose, the wheels, and a little bit of the back, but that’s about it. The Zeekr 009 is much more in-your-face, with a shipload of bling, whereas the Volvo is a more understated machine, Scandinavian style.
The MPV segment in China has seen heady growth over the last ten years, so it is no wonder that Geely wanted to have a go at it with Volvo. The EM90 is a good-looking car, with a clean and uncluttered design. It has sliding doors on each side, thick chrome strips above the side windows, super large mirrors, and classy 8-spoke alloy wheels.
The interior of the Volvo EM90
The EM90’s interior is all about space and luxury. The overall design is the same as with the Zeekr 009, but the Volvo has different trim and a different seat design. The EM90 has wood trim on the doors and dash, Nappa leather seats, two sunroofs, and a 21-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system.
The shifter is on the center tunnel, which is rare in China for an electric car. Most have the shifter mounted at the steering wheel column. The main screen has a 15.4-inch diameter, and it also has a 10.25-inch driver’s display. The command for the voice assistant is “你好小沃”. That’s a play on Volvo’s Chinese name. It means: Nǐ hǎo Xiǎo Wò, or Hello Little Volvo.
The Volvo EM90 is a six-seat car with a 2/2/2 setup. The captain seats on the second row are ultra luxurious, with armrests on each side, cup holders, leg rests, and tray tables.
The Volvo EM90 has a large rear spoiler, cool red rear lights, and chrome strips on the bumpers and under the doors. The EM90 is based on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture 1 (SEA1) platform with a 400V architecture. It is a large car: 5206/2024/1859, with a 3205-millimeter wheelbase and a 2763 kg curb weight. The trunk has a capacity of 342 liters, or 1826 liters with the third and second rows down.
Specifications of the Volvo EM90
Volvo didn’t care to separate the E and the M for the EM90 badge, how sloppy!
Volvo offers only one variant of the EM90 MPV: rear-wheel drive, single-motor. The output of the electric motor is 200 kW (272 hp) and 343 Nm. It has a 180 km/h top speed and 0-100 takes 8.3 seconds. The battery is a big CATL NMC 116 kWh pack, with a 17.2 kWh/100 km consumption for a 738-km range. Fast-charging (10-80%) takes 28 minutes, which is slow compared to the competition.
The price of the EM90
The price is a big problem. The Volvo EM90 costs 818.000 yuan, and that’s $115K. That makes the Volvo EM90 the most expensive Volvo in China. Weirdly, the Zeekr 009 is much cheaper. The current base model of the 009 has 340 hp, 800V, and a 108 kWh battery pack. It costs only 469.000 yuan ($65K). Chinese media and consumers alike wonder about this enormous price difference. We agree- it is just unbelievable.
No wonder Volvo has trouble selling the EM90 MPV. Volvo sells about 130-150 units per month in China. For comparison, Zeekr sells about 1520 units per month of the 009 MPV. So, strange pricing and a lack of charging power killed the chances for the Volvo EM90 to become a success. Volvo’s first MPV might as well be its last.