Volvo is setting lofty U.S. sales expectations for its EX90 crossover, the Swedish automaker's most significant launch since the XC40 in 2017, foreshadowing the brand's future technology, design and sustainability efforts.
Volvo Car USA CEO Anders Gustafsson said the seven-seater, introduced Wednesday in Sweden, will become the brand's No. 1 volume EV in the U.S.
"The EX90 is built for the U.S. market with a 100 percent focus on electrification," Gustafsson told Automotive News. "The volume on this car will be significant in year one for our [retail] partners."
It is built on an all-electric platform and will be the first EV assembled at Volvo's 2.3 million-square-foot plant in Ridgeville, S.C., an hour northwest of Charleston. EX90 production will begin in late 2023. The factory is projected to build about 60,000 units in 2024, according to AutoForecast Solutions.
Gustafsson said he anticipates the bulk of EX90 U.S. allocation in the first year to be pre-sold ahead of the model's launch in early 2024.
The EX90 marks the third battery-electric vehicle in the Volvo lineup after the battery-powered variant of the XC40 crossover and the sporty C40 compact crossover.