Today in Stockholm, Sweden, Volvo revealed the all-new EX90 electric SUV, a seven-seater EV with a gorgeous design, up to 300 miles of range, the ability to charge the 111-kilowatt-hour battery from 10-80% in just 30 minutes, and an impressive powertrain that boasts two permanent magnet electric motors. This means that all-wheel drive helps manage the power on all surfaces. Speaking of, the EX90 offers 496 horsepower and 671 lb-ft of torque.

The all-new alternative to the gas-powered XC90 will be built in the USA at first, with a Chinese manufacturing facility set to join the party later. Wherever it's built, Volvo says that the facility will be climate-neutral, showing that the automaker is thinking of the future. And that's evident in more than just how it's made, as the EX90 is packed with forward-thinking features that intend to keep it relevant for many years to come.

As is the tradition at Volvo, the design of its new vehicle is inoffensive, elegant, and sharp. A number of families bought the Volvo XC90 because of the way it looked, and we suspect that the attractive styling of this car will help continue that trend. But this design is eco-conscious too. Around 15% of the car is made from recycled steel, 25% comes from recycled aluminum, and over 105 pounds of recycled plastics and biobased materials have also been included, making for 15% of the total plastic in the car, the highest level of any Volvo so far. Yet, it doesn't look cheap at all, and XC90 owners will certainly feel like they're upgrading.

Proving that the automaker still has an eye on luxury is the addition of another Volvo first, Dolby Atmos. This comes courtesy of a 25-speaker audio system with integrated headrest speakers from Bowers & Wilkins, which is controlled via a 14.5-inch center display (a smaller, less distracting screen sits behind the steering wheel). This infotainment system has Google built-in, with Google Assistant, Google Maps, and more apps through the Google Play store. If you have an iPhone, don't worry. Wireless Apple CarPlay is compatible here, too, as is 5G connectivity wherever it is available.

You can also remotely control the car through the Volvo Cars app, which allows one to find a public charger, pay for charging, or schedule over-the-air updates. Using your smartphone as a key is also standard.

Last year, Volvo said that it wants this to be the world's safest SUV. To do that, it needs to outperform the competition. While some prefer to rely on cameras, the EX90 boasts a LiDAR system developed by Luminar, and the autonomous driving computer powered by the Nvidia Drive Orin system-on-a-chip is standard. This uses the aforementioned LiDAR, plus radar and cameras, to create a real-time 360-degree view of the surroundings. It has helped improve the safety systems in the car already, with improvements to Pilot Assist adding new steering support while changing lanes. But the main goal of this technology is to be ready for the future. Thanks to LiDAR, this is the first Volvo that is hardware-ready for unsupervised driving in the future.

This is also the first Volvo to feature bi-directional charging, and we all know how useful that can be. More exciting than its practical applications is the potential for EX90 customers to sell their excess energy back to the grid, an ambition that the Swedish automaker is working hard to realize.

"The Volvo EX90 is our vision of a large family SUV in the electric age," said CEO Jim Rowan. "Born electric and software-defined, it demonstrates what future Volvo cars will stand for in terms of safety, tech, sustainability, design and creating a more personal experience for every customer."

Another interesting factor is that the ownership experience will be customized. Buyers can purchase the vehicle online or through a dealer, experiencing it through outright ownership, leasing, or a subscription model.

Pre-orders are now open, and Volvo says a "well-equipped model" will be available at under $80,000. Those who place pre-orders can configure their cars in fall 2023 and receive prioritization for deliveries in 2024.