The mooted EX50 is all but guaranteed to ride on the firm’s new SPA3 platform shared with the latest EX60. This means a cutting-edge 800-volt architecture, a choice of battery sizes and possibly as much as 500 miles of range. Super-fast charging up to 400kW is also possible.
To differentiate itself from the EX40 and EX60 – both of which are currently available to buy or lease through the Auto Express Buy A Car service – the EX50 will need to measure around 4.6 to 4.7 metres long, possibly with a sloping roofline and a desirable coupé-SUV look. If that is the case, we can expect the interior packaging to be affected, though the EV-specific platform should help mitigate any legroom issues in the rear.
The future EX50 will most likely be built in Volvo’s new electric-vehicle factory near Košice in Slovakia. The facility has the capacity to build up to 250,000 cars per year, including the Polestar 7 from 2028. The EX60 is currently manufactured in Gothenburg, Sweden.
That aforementioned “lower price” will mean the EX50 should cost less than £57,000; the starting price of the rear-wheel-drive EX60 P6. There’s a chance Volvo may even look to bring the car to the UK for under £50,000 – thereby avoiding the £440 luxury car-tax surcharge applicable for years two to six of the car’s life.
Among the other new variants planned by Volvo is a flagship Range Rover rival for the US, plus the possibility of a new era of sleek, spacious estate cars. Hybrid models are also likely, based on the old SPA2 platform featured on the older XC60 and XC90 – both of which were recently updated with up to 124 miles of EV range.
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