The 2026 ES90 Will Be the Most Powerful Volvo Ever, At Least in Terms of Computing

The second model in Volvo’s lineup renewal, the all-electric luxury sedan that will be known as the ES90 (and follows in the wake of the EX90 SUV) will be the most powerful vehicle the brand has ever created, at least in terms of computing power.

Thanks to its Nvidia Drive AGX Orin computer, the ES90 will be able to perform around 508 trillion operations per second, eight times more than early examples of the EX90 were able to do. That’s all well and good, but what does it actually mean? Well, the automaker says that the new technology has implications on performance and safety — this is Volvo after all.

The computers will power “Safe Space Technology,” and will be fed information from one lidar sensor, five radar sensors, eight cameras, and 12 ultrasonic sensors. These detect obstacles in the road and inform active safety technologies such as accident avoidance. The system will also feature a “driver understanding system” inside the car, which sounds kind of creepy but is becoming the norm and will likely help deter abuses of the driver assistance features.

In addition, Volvo says that the enormous computing power of the ES90 will enable more meaningful over-the-air updates to rolled out as the car matures. These may include new connectivity features and software updates that can improve the vehicle’s performance and range. Improvements will also be shared between the EX90 and the ES90 to speed the pace of betterment.

Volvo says that the ES90 is so advanced that it is already planning to upgrade the EX90 to features its Nvidia Drive AGX Orin computers (it currently features Nvidia Drive AGX Xavier computers). The update shouldn’t be too difficult since both vehicles share a common physical architecture, known internally as the SPA2 platform.

Unfortunately, Volvo has yet to reveal mechanical data for the ES90, such as battery range or horsepower figures. However, the closely-related EX90 makes as many as 510 hp and 671 lb-ft of torque, and can go up to 495 km per charge. It’s safe to assume that the range figure will improve for the more aerodynamic (and presumably lighter) ES90 sedan.

Volvo will reveal details further details about the ES90’s mechanical platform, its features, and its appearance on March 5, when it fully unveils the new luxury sedan.