Volvo Cars said on the 21st that vehicle production based on its innovative Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform has reached a cumulative 4 million units.
Introduced for the first time with the second-generation XC90 in 2014, the SPA platform is a core technology that established Volvo Cars' modern identity and is credited with greatly improving production efficiency by enabling various vehicle types, powertrains and advanced technologies to be produced on a single process and platform.
The SPA platform is a proprietary technology designed and developed in Sweden under the leadership of Volvo's research and development organization and has become the foundation for producing a total of six models in four countries so far: Sweden, Belgium, the United States and China. The 4 millionth vehicle produced this time was Volvo's iconic flagship SUV, the XC90.
The SPA platform has driven major changes not only in production flexibility but also in Volvo's advanced safety technology and Scandinavian design innovation. SPA-based models, including the XC90, have been recognized as some of the safest cars in the world by applying various safety technologies. Representative examples include Run-off Road Protection, Auto Brake at Intersections and others, and the safety cage designed with an increased proportion of ultra-high-strength steel has become a core Volvo safety technology to this day.
In addition, the SPA platform gave creative freedom to Volvo's Scandinavian design philosophy, leading to the creation of the "Thor's Hammer" headlights that have become a Volvo icon today. It also first introduced the Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrain that combines a gasoline engine and an electric motor. This technology is now applied across Volvo's plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models.
Based on this achievement, Volvo Cars plans to continue with next-generation platforms such as SPA2 and SPA3 to accelerate future electrification and software-centric vehicle development. SPA-based models also receive free continuous feature improvements and software upgrades via over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
Michael Fleiss, head of product strategy at Volvo Cars, said, "The SPA platform is Volvo's core technology that played a decisive role in Volvo Cars' transformation into a modern, premium brand," and noted, "It remains the basis for the most successful models in Volvo's history and continues to achieve new levels of refinement through ongoing improvements."
[OSEN]