Volvo EX90 Excellence is an all-electric limo, for China first

Volvo unveiled a more plush version of the 2024 EX90 electric SUV at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show.

Sporting two-tone paint and 22-inch wheels, the EX90 Excellence is aimed at wealthy Chinese buyers with personal chauffeurs. It has four seats instead of the standard EX90’s seven, with a pair of individual seats in the second row with heating and massage functions.

Similar to the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV also unveiled in Shanghai, the two rear seats are split by a center console with a refrigerator. Other notable features include an Orrefors crystal controller, fragrance dispenser, and a Bowers & Wilkins audio system with Dolby Atmos, specially tuned for the four-seat EX90 Excellence cabin.

2024 Volvo EX90 Excellence

2024 Volvo EX90 Excellence

As more sustainable alternatives to leather, Volvo offers wool upholstery and Nordico, a textile made from material like recycled PET plastic bottles and “bio-attributed material” from Swedish and Finnish forests.

The EX90 Excellence will be offered in China first, but Volvo didn’t rule out bringing it to the U.S. Standard versions of the EX90 will be U.S.-built, in South Carolina, with deliveries scheduled to begin next year.

Unveiled last fall, the EX90 shares Sustainable Electric Architecture (SEA) underpinnings with the Polestar 3 and the Chinese-market Zeekr X. It will launch with a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain rated at 496 hp, and a 111-kwh battery pack that should deliver approximately 300 miles of range on the EPA testing cycle. It will also be the first Volvo with bidirectional charging, while 250-kw DC fast charging will allow for a 10% to 80% charge in 30 minutes, according to Volvo.

2024 Volvo EX90 Excellence

2024 Volvo EX90 Excellence

The Excellence treatment effectively transforms the EX90 into an all-electric limo. While it isn’t the first such vehicle, previous efforts, like the Nissan Leaf stretch limo first spotted in 2012, have tended to be one-off conversions. The Volvo may not be stretched, but its factory official status make it a standout.

With high-end electric cars proliferating, it may not be long before we see them being used in a more official capacity. We’ve wondered when the Presidential limo might go electric, especially now that President Biden is targeting all government vehicles to go electric by 2027.

Author: EVAI