Volvo EX90 reorients lidar to create ‘invisible shield of safety'

Volvo's EX90 electric crossover will offer an "invisible shield of safety" with a novel placement of lidar, the remote sensing technology that uses laser light pulses to render precise images of the environment around the vehicle.

While automakers typically embed safety sensors in the grille or front fascia, Volvo positioned the lidar unit on the EX90's roofline. For good reason.

Volvo Cars exterior design boss T. Jon Mayer describes the unit as the eyes of the vehicle, and placing it in the grille would be like having "eyes on your knees," limiting vision to the vehicle directly in front.

"If you put it up high, you can see above that car and beyond," Mayer said.

Volvo said the EX90's lidar, from Luminar, can detect pedestrians up to 820 feet away, even at highway speeds.

Designers considered integrating the lidar under the windshield but discovered the rake compromised performance.

Beyond early detection, the roof mount protects the sensitive and expensive sensor from damage in a collision or from road debris. But it does disrupt airflow and create drag. A low aerodynamic drag coefficient is key to optimize range.

Volvo designers developed a low-profile cover for the lidar to reduce drag. The cover rounds off the unit's edges and tapers toward the rear, so air flows around the sides and over the module.

Mayer said the aim was to get air to "attach seamlessly to the car as if the lidar wasn't even there," adding, "there's very minimal impact from an aerodynamic standpoint."

The EX90's front design is "inspired by a sailboat's ability to shear through the ocean's slamming waves," Mayer said.

"But it's also rounder overall, which enables the air to flow around the car more efficiently," he noted.

The design tweaks, coupled with flush door handles, help the full-size, seven-seat EX90 achieve a 0.29 coefficient of drag. In comparison, Tesla's three-row Model X Plaid crossover has a drag coefficient of 0.24.

The EX90, to be revealed Wednesday, Nov. 9, in Stockholm, is Volvo's biggest product launch since the XC40. U.S. deliveries should begin in early 2024, according to AutoForecast Solutions.