Volvo's Fredrik Lind, global head of product and business for the ES90, said this at a media roundtable held on the 16th (local time) in Nice, France. The ES90 is a midsize electric sedan that Volvo unveiled for the first time since its founding, first revealed on Mar. 5 last year in Stockholm, Sweden.
Lind's statement that the ES90 will not be sold in the United States is seen as due to Washington's high tariff on products made in China. Volvo plans to produce all ES90s at its Chengdu plant and sell them in China and overseas markets.
Chinese electric vehicle makers are focusing on the European market instead of the United States. However, the European Union (EU) is also imposing a high tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles. Because of this, Chinese companies are concentrating on selling plug-in hybrids, which are excluded from the tariff, and are building local factories in Europe.
Lind said, "We do not yet have plans to produce the ES90 in the United States or Europe or to develop a plug-in hybrid model," but added, "The global trade environment is changing rapidly, and we are preparing to respond flexibly."
Lind said the ES90 is a sedan that also has the strengths of a sport utility vehicle (SUV). He said, "The ES90 is a new type of pure electric sedan that combines the refined proportions of a sedan with the versatility of an SUV," adding, "It is a model that combines advanced electrification technologies such as quietness, outstanding driving performance, and an 800-volt (V) fast-charging system."
The ES90 is equipped with a nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) battery developed by Chinese battery maker CATL. Vehicle operating system (OS) and other features will use domestic products in line with the future Korea launch schedule. Lind said, "Volvo is focusing on collaboration with external partners rather than developing its own OS," adding, "In markets with different service environments, such as Korea, systems from local partners such as T map will be applied."