Volvo’s new flagship EV will introduce an array of high-tech safety features the Swedish automaker expects to yield a substantial reduction in the number of crashes, deaths and serious injuries the EX90 SUV will experience.
Set to replace the XC90 as Volvo’s top model, the EX90 will become one of the first vehicles on the road to use lidar, a high-resolution radar technology capable of seeing even small obstacles more than 800 feet ahead of the vehicle. It will help provide “an invisible shield of safety,” Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan said during a Wednesday morning briefing on YouTube.
The automaker is, arguably, best known for its long history of introducing cutting edge safety technology, starting with three-point safety belts in 1959. “Safety is not just a marketing exercise or another regulation,” Rowan declared during the online presentation. “It is at the very core of our purpose.”
But maintaining a lead in safety in today’s environment has become more difficult as automakers like Toyota, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz roll out new features and designs of their own on an accelerated basis.
Making cars safer
Automotive safety early on focused on passive technology, such as the three-point seatbelt, as well as vehicle designs meant to better absorb crash forces. The industry has largely shifted emphasis to active systems meant to prevent a crash in the first place. Today’s automobiles feature systems like electronic stability control and, increasingly, forward collision warning systems that also can apply the brakes if a crash becomes likely.
With lidar, experts believe that safety shield can be stretched further. Working along with camera, radar and ultrasonic sensors, Rowan said the lidar system coming standard on the EX90 will be capable of looking as far as 250 meters, or about 820 feet, ahead of the vehicle. That would provide a 7.5-second lead time to respond to an obstacle — such as an abandoned tire, a pedestrian, an animal or another vehicle, Rowan claimed, adding the system will work during both day and night.
He did not, however, discuss how well the EX90’s sensors will work in inclement weather. Experts caution that heavy rain or snow can degrade the functionality of lidar.
Nonetheless, “The difference lidar can make for real-life safety is remarkable,” the Volvo CEO said, estimating the new system “can reduce accidents resulting in serious injury or death by up to 20% and overall crash(es) by over 9% — which, over time, could lead to millions of accidents being avoided.”
All told, the EX90 will be loaded with sensors, including eight cameras, five radar units and 16 ultrasonic sensors. But the lidar device mounted into the SUV’s roof will be the lynchpin in the new safety suite.
Roof-mounted lidar
The lidar sensor, provided by high-tech supplier Luminar, marks one of the first times a vehicle has been equipped with the 3D-laser system. Many experts believe it will become key to creating true autonomous vehicle capabilities. Volvo is known to be working on hands-free driving capabilities and Rowan vaguely hinted that could be in the works, noting there will be additional announcements made about EX90’s technology before it is launched for sale.
The all-electric SUV is scheduled to make its world debut on Nov. 9. It will subsequently join two other Volvo battery-electric vehicles in the line-up, including the C40 Recharge launched for the 2022 model year.
While the Wednesday presentation largely focused on the ability of EX90 to scan the outside world for potential threats, Rowan also noted many accidents are the result of driver error, indicating the all-electric SUV will attempt to address that issue, as well.
It will feature two cameras focused on the driver to ensure they remain alert and capable. If the motorist were to become sleepy or even incapacitated, the system would sound an alert and then slow down to a stop. If necessary, it would then call for emergency services.
“Interior sensing is one of the next safety frontiers for us,” Thomas Broberg, Volvo’s active safety director, said in a statement.
There, Volvo is not alone. Cadillac uses a camera built into the steering wheel to watch the driver on a growing number of models equipped with its hands-free Super Cruise system. It also can stop the vehicle if a motorist becomes distracted or incapacitated.
Volvo previously laid out plans to go 100% electric by 2030, and the EX90 will serve as the hallmark of that move and the flagship of the brand. It will replace the XC90 SUV which is now available in both standard gas and hybrid versions. Though Volvo has updated its various models during the last few years, the EX90 will become its first completely new product since 2017 and will use a newly designed, skateboard-like platform to be shared with other all-electric models in the coming years.
