Volvo EX90 electric SUV delayed again

UPDATE, 24 July 2023: Production of the Volvo EX90 has been delayed for the second time in as many months, as the Swedish car-maker continues to run into issues with the development of the electric SUV’s high-tech software.

In an investor presentation last week, Volvo CEO Jim Rowan announced the EX90’s production had been pushed back by “five to six” months – following reports from May 2023 that its launch was being delayed from the fourth quarter of 2023 (October to December) to the first half of 2024.

Mr Rowan attributed the delays to Volvo struggling with the “complexity of the software code” which runs the EX90's advanced driver assistance systems, which use 'lidar' technology.

“We’re writing a lot of (the) software ourselves,” Mr Rowan told investors. “We wanted to make sure that the first time we put lidar into our safety stack, it operates in the way it should.”

Our original story continues unchanged below.

12 May 2023: The launch of the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 electric SUVs has been delayed for global markets amid roadblocks in finalising their high-tech software.

In a global media statement, Volvo said the EX90 – the electric counterpart to the XC90 – has been delayed to allow extra time for software development and testing, also affecting the Polestar 3 which is based on the same electric-car platform.

Production of the electric SUVs was originally due to begin at Volvo's Ridgeville plant in the US, and Chengdu plant in China during the fourth quarter of 2023 (October to December).

The EX90 and Polestar 3 are now “expected to see production [commence] during the first half of 2024”.

A Polestar Australia spokesperson told Drive there is no change to report for the timing of local Polestar 3 deliveries, which were previously scheduled for early 2024. The production delay for the Polestar 3 will not affect the smaller Polestar 4, also due early 2024.

"At this stage we're unsure about the timing implications for Australian Polestar 3 customers, but we're working to identify a revised timeline with our colleagues in Sweden and will provide an update to our customers as soon as possible," said a Polestar Australia spokesperson in a media statement.

Volvo is not putting an exact time frame on when Australian deliveries of the EX90 – originally due in late 2024 – are now planned to begin.

However, it claims demand for the BMW iX, Audi Q8 E-Tron, and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV rival has exceeded expectations since it was unveiled in November 2022.

Volvo revealed it closed orders for the electric EX90 in Europe late last month, saying its first-year production quota had sold out. Australia was not affected, as orders are yet to open locally.

Early customers will now be forced to wait even longer for the range-topping Volvo model, which is based on the Swedish car maker's second-generation Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform.

No details have been given to the nature of the software development and testing issues. 

At its unveiling in 2022, Volvo described the EX90 as its most advanced production car yet. In addition to being the first Volvo model to receive lidar sensors for automated driving assistance, it is also touted to offer bi-directional charging functionality.

The production delay for the seven-seat EX90 comes after Porsche announced the launch of its upcoming electric Macan would be delayed from 2023 to 2024. A similar delay is also facing its sister model, the Audi Q6 E-Tron, which is also planned to be launched in 2024.