Volvo has announced a major round of upgrades for its all-electric EX90 SUV, adding promised safety tech and upgrading the car’s electrical system to 800V for 2026-model-year versions.
At the heart of the update is an update to the vehicle's electric systems. The 2026 EX90 swaps its older Nvidia Xavier processor for the more powerful Nvidia Drive AGX Orin chip – the same system used in the incoming ES90 saloon. That means a jump to 500 trillion operations per second, unlocking new abilities for the SUV’s lidar sensor.
The result is smarter safety systems that can now steer away from cyclists and pedestrians in the dark, bring the car to a safe halt if the driver falls ill, and even improve the car’s auto-parking functions. Crucially, Volvo says this won’t just be for new buyers – existing EX90 owners will be offered a free workshop upgrade to add the hardware too.
It’s a bold move, and one that comes just six months after the first EX90s were delivered – sparking criticism that early adopters were left waiting for the car’s full safety suite. Volvo bosses have admitted it was a unique situation, but one that was manageable given the relatively small number of early cars already on the road.
On the charging front, the switch to an 800V electrical system doubles the EX90’s voltage and raises the maximum charging speed from 250kW to 350kW. That means up to 155 miles of range can be added in just 10 minutes, thanks to reduced heat build-up during rapid charging. Volvo also says the new system allows for lighter, more efficient batteries and motors, with the added bonus of quicker acceleration – although updated 0-62mph figures haven’t been released yet.
As part of the upgrade, Volvo is also promising more impactful over-the-air updates, with four major software releases planned per year alongside smaller, regular tweaks.
Full technical specs for the 2026 EX90 are still under wraps, but prices are expected to rise slightly from today’s £83,000 entry point for the single-motor version.
