Our new fully electric premium MPV, the Volvo EM90, is not just designed to be a comfortable living room on the move, and a car that provides you with room for life with your loved ones. It is also a car that broadens the appeal of Volvo Cars and meets even more customer needs.
So not only the 140kWh Qilin battery version is gone, the front motor is gone as well. Is it positioned as a lower trim version of Zeekr 009?
It probably won’t be cheaper than Zeekr009 either, so what is Volvo thinking?
A lot of Volvo’s verbiage surrounding the EM90 has been about “comfort” and “relaxation” so perhaps they’re trading performance for better interior materials or something.
And despite Volvo being under Geely like Zeekr is, if the agreement was that the CATL Qilin battery was to be put into Zeekr vehicles and Zeekr vehicles only, then it makes sense that the EM90 wouldn’t get it.
I don’t think Zeekr has a exclusive deal with Qilin battery, it’s just a name CATL give for their 3rd Gen CTP battery tech. Zeekr is just the launch customer, a lot of other EV manufacturers are starting to use it in their EV lineup.
Volvo may get away with sacrificing power for comfort, it won’t get away with lower range, as potential buyers do care about range.
I wouldn’t say a 738km CLTC range is particularly compromised, that’s still a range which is well above-average for the segment. They’re just not giving it the crowning-achievement Qilin pack for the moment.