Volvo Cars Superset: A single platform for all electric cars!

For Volvo Cars, a unified technology strategy is key to their electric vehicles: All fully electric Volvo car models will use the same core of systems, modules, software, and hardware in the future. The "Volvo Cars Superset" will debut in the new Volvo EX90 and will gradually be expanded to the entire E-product range.

Swedish Lego: Volvo's new 'super toolbox'  

The "Volvo Cars Superset" can be applied like a modular system in various ways to different vehicle types. Each future model will use individual components from the package, which will continuously expand and improve. The company can specifically focus on the (further) development of a unified technology toolkit.

According to Rowan, Volvo models will continuously improve over time and will benefit from one another: The development work on the new Volvo EX90, for instance, benefits the following Volvo ES90 sedan. The experiences with the fully electric sedan, in turn, flow back into the development of the Volvo EX60 and the continuous improvement of the Volvo EX90. The 30s and 40s series are exceptions (for now), as they are based on separate modular systems. However, the drivetrains and infotainment systems from the EX90 are already familiar from the EX30.

"Volvo Cars' superset technology marks a turning point: Instead of working on specific vehicle projects, it allows us to channel all our development efforts in a single direction that benefits all models," explains Anders Bell, Chief Engineering & Technology Officer at Volvo Cars, adding:

"Our engineers are working on a toolkit whose capabilities and functions are continually improved, expanded, and enhanced. The result is higher quality, faster market launches, and ever-better cars."

 Closed development cycle – information technology becomes even more important

The superset approach symbolizes a new overarching concept for how Volvo Cars will produce cars. The Swedes are developing a closed-loop system based on data, connectivity, software, and core computing. This transition to core information technology is at least as important as the shift to electrification. It affects everything related to the electric vehicle system. According to Rowan, nearly 900 employees are dedicated to this effort alone. This closed development cycle is expected to allow Volvo Cars to improve every aspect of the vehicle — through real-time insights and advanced computing capabilities, but also by strategically deploying engineers in the research and development centers.

 Solid foundation: The next-generation SPA3 platform

One of the fundamental building blocks for every future Volvo model is still the electric base: a combination of the latest drive, electric, and electronic systems that the vehicle builds upon. To stay at the forefront, the premium automaker is developing an all-new fully electric technology platform, which underpins the superset. The first model based on the architecture called SPA3 is the fully electric mid-sized SUV Volvo EX60, which will be introduced soon.

Extreme: The new super toolbox could encompass even smaller models than the EX30 up to larger models than the EX90.

 Building on SPA2 (Scalable Product Architecture 2), the new SPA3 platform benefits from several key improvements: Increased core computing power enables more performance and a continuous expansion of technological features. However, the most significant change is the even greater scalability of the SPA3 architecture.

This allows Volvo, according to their own statements, to develop and build vehicles of any size on the same technical basis — including models larger than the Volvo EX90 and smaller than the Volvo EX30. The advantage of this modular adaptability is lower investment costs in relation to revenue, which positively impacts cash flow.