Volvo EX60: Premiere in Gothenburg

The new EX60 marks the beginning of a new era for Volvo. This summer, the 4.80-meter-long SUV will be the brand's first fully electric vehicle to be developed and produced in Sweden. For Volvo boss Hakan Samuelsson, the new model is a "milestone in the history of the Gothenburg plant", which has been completely renovated over the past four years. "We have left no stone unturned here to make the plant fit for the future," explained Samuelsson at the start of production of the EX60.

The beacon of hope arrives at dealerships with excellent prospects. Even before the official sales launch, the Swedes received so many orders - including from Germany - that production capacity in Gothenburg had to be adjusted to meet demand and the traditional summer production break was shortened from four to three weeks.

In terms of design, the creative minds in Gothenburg created a typically Scandinavian, sober silhouette, whereby the already minimalist design language was once again reduced to the essentials. There is no chrome trim at all, and the interior also has an extremely functional atmosphere. The screen in front of the steering wheel has been positioned in such a way that it almost replaces a head-up display. The EX60 driver will look in vain for buttons. There is only a bar at the bottom of the central screen for the most important functions. The materials are of high quality and, unsurprisingly, of excellent workmanship. Volvo's typical safety technology has been further upgraded with the world's first multi-adaptive seat belts for the front seats, which use data from inside and outside sensors to adapt the belt tension and load level to individual conditions.

The EX60 comes to dealers in three power levels. In the basic version, a 275 kW (374 hp) electric motor drives the rear wheels. An 83 kWh battery is on board to provide energy. According to Volvo, the range is up to 611 kilometers. The price list starts at 62,990 euros. The next higher variant has all-wheel drive and a 375 kW (510 hp) drive, which is supplied with energy by a 95 kWh battery. Volvo promises that the range is reached at 660 kilometers. At least 65,990 euros change hands for this version. The top model is the 375 kW (510 hp) all-wheel-drive model, in which a 117 kWh battery should enable a range of 810 kilometers. This variant costs at least 71,990 euros.

All versions use 800-volt technology and can be charged with up to 350 kW for the front-wheel drive model or 400 kW for the all-wheel drive model. It takes between 16 and 19 minutes to charge the battery from ten to 80 percent at the fast charger. The top speed for all versions is 180 km/h, and there are also four driving settings that can be used to customize the comfort, efficiency and performance characteristics of the EX60.

The good range values are due, among other things, to innovations in the production of the EX60. For example, the battery is integrated into the chassis as a load-bearing part, and the Swedes are breaking new ground with the rear underbody in order to reduce production costs and weight. The rear underbody is manufactured in Gothenburg using the so-called mega-casting process. With this technique, body parts that were previously produced in several time-consuming steps are cast in one piece. The system supplied by the Swiss specialist Bühler works with clamping forces of 8400 kilograms and can process more than 200 kilograms of liquid aluminum within a few milliseconds. The result is a single large component that can be processed directly. At the same time, the weight is reduced and the rigidity is improved. Currently, only the rear elements of the EX60 are manufactured in this way. (aum)