Volvo EX90 - Range, charging & running costs

Volvo says it’s taken inspiration from yacht design to help make sure the EX90 makes the most of its colossal 111kWh (107kWh usable) battery. That boils down to a sleek front end without the grille you’d find on the XC90, flush-fitting door handles and aerodynamically optimised wheels all contributing to a relatively low 0.29 drag coefficient. 

On paper, the results are pretty impressive with a 374-mile range for both the standard and Performance versions. Volvo claims you’ll see an average efficiency of 2.9mi/kWh, and during our first experience of the EX90 we managed to achieve this figure. That was done under favourable conditions on the west coast of America. In our more recent test we managed just 2mi/kWh around a cold and wet Berkshire. Despite the standard-fit heat pump, in wintery conditions, we saw a 70 per cent charge offering 170 miles of range – dropping to just 140 miles with the sportier dual-motor mode activated. This was achieved with two occupants - with seven on board you’d see even worse results. 

The EX90’s range and efficiency hinges on the environment, but as long as you can find a quick charger that shouldn’t matter too much. It’ll recharge at a rapid 250kW – even without the trick 800-volt architecture that underpins several Audi and Porsche products. That, Volvo claims, makes the EX90 good for a 10-80 per cent charge in around half an hour.

Electric range, battery life and charge time

An official range of 374 miles is what you’ll find in the EX90 Twin Motor – which is pretty competitive against the Mercedes EQS SUV (364 miles) and the BMW iX (380 miles). The Polestar 3, which is lighter and sleeker than the Volvo, comes with the same battery and can return up to 392 miles of range. The Polestar also has a single-motor version to bump this to 438 miles - although it’s worth remembering that the EX90 will soon get a single-motor offering, too. 

The EX90 comes with bi-directional charging – meaning you can use that big battery to send power to external appliances and even to the National Grid. An 11kWh on-board charger is included as standard as well. 

Tax

Given most EX90 owners will receive their cars from the ‘25’ plate change in 2025, we suspect they’ll all be subject to the loss of VED road tax exemption from April 1.

Insurance groups

Although it’ll be cheap to tax compared to a similar-sized petrol or diesel SUV, insurance will be equally expensive because every EX90 sits in group 50 - the highest band. Alongside a standard alarm and gear shift lock, the EX90 has an immobiliser and a ‘double lock’, the latter allowing for exterior and interior locking. 

Depreciation

Residual values are pretty good for the Volvo EX90, because our experts predict that even the most depreciation-prone Performance model will cling on to 57.16 per cent of its value after three years of 36,000 miles. The standard car will fare slightly better at 57.40 per cent - similar numbers to the Polestar 3. 

To get an accurate valuation for a specific model, check out our valuation tool...