Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 delayed due to software issues

Volvo and Polestar’s new electric flagships are coming later than expected. Delays in the software development of the shared electric platform mean that both the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 are not expected before 2024, rather than the second half of 2023.

The Volkswagen Group is not the only car manufacturer struggling with the software development of a next-generation EV platform, with the electric Porsche Macan and Audi Q6 e-tron suffering from delays because of this. Now, Volvo and Polestar have announced similar delays with the technically related EX90 and Polestar 3.

Not before 2024

Both sister companies are quite brief in their announcements, with Volvo stating “Volvo Cars needs additional time in software development and testing and is adjusting the planned start of production timing” for the EX90 and Polestar adding that “Polestar was recently informed that additional time for final software development of the new all-electric platform shared by Volvo Cars is needed”.

In practice, this means that the Volvo EX90 will start production in the first half of 2024 rather than Q4 2023, while the Polestar 3 will be produced from Q1 2024. For the latter, this has a clear impact on the first Belgian deliveries, which were supposed to start in Q4 2023. Now, the Polestar website mentions an estimated delivery date of Q2 2024.

For the Volvo EX90, the impact is less clear. The US was supposed to get the first examples before the end of 2023, as the SUV is being produced there, a deadline which will clearly no longer be met. But in Europe, the first EX90s were only supposed to arrive in the spring of 2024. Perhaps Volvo can find a way to limit the impact on European deliveries by ramping up early production as soon as the software is finished.