Volvo Cars is pressing reset on its digital platform after a rocky start for its flagship battery-powered SUV EX90. The Swedish automaker has unveiled sweeping upgrades to the 2026 model year, including a jump to 800 V architecture. It also outlined plans to build extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) in the US, as it seeks to rebuild customer trust and stabilize declining sales.
The EX90, launched in 2025 as Volvo’s first software-defined vehicle, was intended to showcase the company’s transition to electrification and digital platforms. Instead, it quickly became a nightmare. Early adopters reported persistent software failures ranging from broken phone key functions to glitchy infotainment and random error messages.
Undrivable
Some owners described their vehicles as undrivable, and on forums worldwide, Volvo’s image of a robust, trustworthy carmaker was set ablaze. In inner circles, it is even assumed that the cumbersome market launch of the flagship SUV was one of the reasons behind the ousting of former CEO Jim Rowan.
To address the early dissatisfaction, Volvo will now replace the central computer in every 2025 EX90 with the more powerful Nvidia Drive AGX Orin unit, which will be shipped in the 2026 version.
The new software brain delivers more than 500 trillion operations per second, providing Volvo with a single platform to refine safety and driver assistance. It is also ready for future enhancements through over-the-air updates.
The fix is extensive. By abandoning the first-generation hardware, Volvo admits quietly that its initial approach could not be salvaged through rewritten code.
Faster charging
The hardware swap is paired with a major electrical overhaul. The 2026 EX90 adopts an 800-volt architecture, replacing the 400-volt setup that limited charging performance.
Volvo states that the upgrade enables the SUV to recover 250 kilometers of range in ten minutes, although it has not disclosed peak charge rates or 10-80 percent charging times. Engineers also reduced the weight of the battery and motor by using revised materials, which improved efficiency and allowed the car to accelerate more quickly.
New safety features are intended to reinforce the brand’s traditional strengths. These include expanded automatic emergency steering that now works at night, hazard alerts from connected vehicles, and an Emergency Stop Assist system that halts the car if the driver suffers illness and triggers an automatic emergency call.
Volvo is offering existing EX90 owners the hardware update for free, but questions linger about whether the effort will repair the damage done to the brand. Some owners remain frustrated by what they describe as dismissive treatment from dealers and inconsistent support. It doesn’t help that the car is listed for a retail price starting at 86,320 euros. Customers have higher expectations at such rates.
Range-extenders for the US
Furthermore, Volvo is adapting to the new reality in the US where its Charleston plant builds the EX90, alongside the Polestar 3, and is preparing for the upcoming EX60, which will also be offered as a PHEV. With EV credits stalled and the nation’s largest market, California, backing off from replacing them, combustion engines are back on the table.
The ‘new boss’, recalled from retirement, Håkan Samuelsson, has therefore decided to introduce extended-range EVs (EREVs) tailored to American buyers by the end of the decade. These models will primarily run on battery power but carry a gasoline generator to extend their range, a strategy already gaining traction in China.
CEO Håkan Samuelsson called them a “second generation of hybrids,” designed for US families seeking the benefits of electrification without the anxiety of long-distance travel.
