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2024 Volvo EX90 SUV revealed as forward-looking electric flagship

STOCKHOLM — Volvo has unveiled its EX90 electric three-row SUV in Stockholm, Sweden, representing the future of the brand with a focus on sustainability, safety and technology-driven design. The EX90 will be offered with two twin-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain options. The first offers a total of 402 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque, and a 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds. The performance version is good for a heaping 496 horsepower and 671 pound-feet of torque, and 0-60 shrinks to 4.7 seconds. Its 111-kilowatt-hour battery (107-kWh usable), supplied by CATL, will provide up to 300 miles from a full charge, replenishable at a DC fast charger from 10-80% in 30 minutes at a peak charging rate of 250 kW. It will feature bi-directional charging, allowing the EX90 to supply electricity to your home, appliances or another Volvo EV. As far as size, the EX90 is 198.3 inches in overall length, eclipsing the XC90 by 3.3 inches in length with an identical 117.5-inch wheelbase. On the exterior, we see the Hammer of Thor daytime lights with a vertical bar below representing the lightning strike of the hammer. The horizontal lighting opens up like eyelids tto reveal the nighttime lights behind them. Up top, the lidar unit is prominent, but artfully blended into the black of the roof. The 22-inch wheels feature aerodynamic inserts that reduce turbulence; 20- and 21-inch wheels will also be available. The door handles rise to greet you when you approach with your digital key — your phone — from 30 feet away. The rear lights borrow their vertical signature from the C40. In all, the design is very "Scandinavian," meaning clean, inspired by nature and harmonious with technology, as Volvo design head Robin Page explained to us. True to the Volvo brand, safety is paramount. The EX90 utilizes cameras, radar and lidar, along with Nvidia-powered software, to take stock of the vehicleÂ’s surroundings, as well as the driverÂ’s gaze and attention, to help keep the occupants safe. The lidar can detect objects ahead to centimeter accuracy from 250 meters (about 820 feet) away in glaring sun or total darkness, Volvo says. Volvo describes the EX90 as “a highly advanced computer on wheels” with the ability to improve over time thanks to over-the-air software updates.

Volvo vows to charge subscriptions only for major updates

Volvo Cars Chief Operating Officer Bjorn Annwall   BMW veered into a public-relations mess this year when it started charging car owners monthly subscription fees to warm their behinds. Volvo Car won’t be making similar moves. “If you are to charge for software updates, it must be a step change in consumer benefit,” VolvoÂ’s Chief Operating Officer Bjorn Annwall said in an interview this month. “We will not ask people who have bought a car for 1 million kronor ($96,500) to pay another 10 kronor to get extra heat in the seat.” While BMW will no doubt have other manufacturers follow in its footsteps — Mercedes-Benz recently started asking buyers of its EQ electric vehicles to fork over $1,200 a year to unlock quicker acceleration, for example — the auto world has started to second-guess just how much money there is to be made from the rise of software within their hardware-intensive business. In a 91-page deep dive into the topic last month, analysts at UBS pegged the total addressable market at $700 billion by 2030. ThatÂ’s no pittance, but pales in comparison to the $2 trillion opportunity they anticipated previously. Annwall sees Volvo generating little additional revenue from software until mid-decade. Only if major upgrades become available — a self-driving mode, for example — would Volvo charge extra. “You donÂ’t have to hold the steering wheel — now thatÂ’s a step change in user benefit.” Annwall was speaking at the opening of VolvoÂ’s new tech hub in Stockholm, where the manufacturer builds software for selling and marketing cars online. The company, which last month unveiled a battery-powered sport utility vehicle to succeed its gasoline-era flagship, intends to cease making combustion cars by the end of the decade. ItÂ’s going to be an uphill push: EVs made up just under a fifth of the companyÂ’s shipments last month. Bloomberg spoke with Annwall about VolvoÂ’s tech efforts, the software issues that have plagued some of its competitors and the ongoing supply-chain issues holding back the industry. Here are highlights from the conversation, which have been edited for length and clarity: Large automakers including Volkswagen have had problems with their car software. Have you experienced similar obstacles? I wonÂ’t hide the fact that we have had some problems with our software in the car as well. But weÂ’ve been good at correcting them fairly quickly.

Ford F-Series Super Duty earns Truck of Texas award

Texans love their pickup trucks, which you already knew. That means the Texas Auto Writers Association and its "Truck of Texas" award is a big deal. And the latest trophy goes to the 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty. The pickup truck managed to snag TAWA's award at the 2016 Texas Truck Rodeo. The award marks the 13th time Ford's F-Series has been named the pickup king of the Lone Star State. Roughly 70 journalists converged outside at the Longhorn River Ranch, just outside of Austin, TX, for the 23rd annual Texas Truck Rodeo where a host of Ford's vehicles won awards. In addition to the F-Series Super Duty being named the "Truck of Texas," the 2017 Ford Super Duty won the Heavy Duty Pickup Truck award, while the 2017 Ford F-150 with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine won the Best Powertrain award. The journalists also awarded Ford for having the "Truck Line of Texas." Ford wasn't the only winner at the Texas Truck Rodeo, as Nissan brought home five awards, including one for the 2017 Titan in the fullsize pickup category and one for the Armada in the SUV segment. Ram also won a few accolades with its trucks. The 2017 Ram 1500 won for being the most luxurious pickup truck, while the 2017 Ram 2500 Power Wagon won the off-road pickup truck award. Last year, TAWA named the 2016 Nissan Titan XD the Truck of Texas, but Ford's all-new F-Series Super Duty managed to keep the Japanese automaker's full-size offering at bay. For the 2017 model, Ford placed aluminum body panels into the F-Series Super Duty's body, which not only shed weight, but also make the truck stronger. Scroll down to see the entire list of TAWA's winners from the 2016 Texas Truck Rodeo. Truck of Texas: 2017 Ford Super Duty SUV of Texas: 2017 Nissan Armada CUV of Texas: 2017 Volvo XC90 Truck line of Texas: Ford Motor Co.