Volvo Expands Operations at its Charleston Plant and Updates the 2026 EX90

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Volvo’s manufacturing plant simply exterior Charleston, South Carolina, is the corporate’s first within the US and completely produces its totally electrical EX90 in addition to the Polestar 3. The manufacturing facility opened in 2015, with Volvo investing $1.3 billion within the plant during the last decade. This week, the corporate introduced plans so as to add capability for manufacturing of the Volvo XC60 on the plant, with the addition of a “subsequent technology hybrid” to comply with by 2030.

Volvo invited CleanTechnica out for the announcement of the plant growth, the place additionally they launched an up to date 2026 Volvo EX90.

Disclaimer: Volvo paid for the creator’s journey and lodging to attend the occasion.

Charleston Plant Enlargement

The plant was constructed with an preliminary capability plan of 150,000 automobiles per yr. Volvo introduced it is going to be including manufacturing of the XC60 on the location. It beforehand produced numerous different Volvo automobiles, and the addition of XC60 manufacturing will make use of present ground area within the manufacturing facility.

Within the first 8 months of 2025, Volvo bought 27,000 XC60s within the US market. Producing automobiles for the home market in South Carolina optimizes Volvo’s logistics footprint, reducing the price of logistics, lowering emissions, and repurposing present manufacturing facility area.

On the occasion, Volvo additionally shared that it is going to be including manufacturing of a next-generation hybrid car that’s but to be introduced on the Charleston manufacturing facility. The corporate didn’t share the precise mannequin, the funding they plan to make, or the roles they count on to create. Volvo did share that manufacturing might be on-line by 2030.

Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson mentioned in a media roundtable after the ribbon slicing that the next-generation hybrid could be a range-extended electrical car. “The second technology, which we’re speaking about now, we see extra as an electrical automotive. It behaves like an electrical automotive once you drive it. Very quick acceleration, very agile and quiet, however it has an onboard charger to increase the vary,” Samuelsson mentioned.

“It’s extra of an electrical automotive with a backup engine than the primary technology which is a combustion automotive with batteries.” That is vital as a result of although the car will have the ability to use each electrical energy and fuel as gas, it would rely solely on the electrical motor for propulsion.

From the press launch asserting the manufacturing facility growth, Volvo mentioned that, “This new mannequin is designed to satisfy the precise calls for of the US market, consistent with Volvo Vehicles’ elevated give attention to guaranteeing every area has the merchandise it wants to satisfy buyer calls for.”

It will get prospects accustomed to driving an electrical car and means the car will run as a real zero-emission car till the preliminary cost of the battery is depleted. It additionally reinforces Volvo’s robust dedication to producing and promoting as many zero-emission automobiles as potential because the US federal authorities continues to undermine EVs. It’s additionally a lot simpler to ditch the vary extender on a car that’s designed as an electrical car first.

EX90 Upgrades

Volvo used the occasion to focus on updates to the 2026 Volvo EX90, together with an improve to 800-volt battery structure and an up to date core laptop. Volvo will improve the principle Nvidia Orin-base system-on-chip processor to Nvidia’s newest Drive ATX platform.

Shifting to 800 volt battery structure means sooner charging and a fair faster 0 to 60 instances for Volvo’s flagship EV. It’s a main step ahead for Volvo and the EX90 and permits them to reap the benefits of the host of advantages coming from the upper voltage, not least of which is utilizing much less copper within the high-voltage system all through the car.

On the client entrance, an 800-volt structure means sooner charging on the growing variety of 800-volt and 1000-volt public quick chargers.

The core laptop improve is much more impactful as Volvo continues to leverage onboard compute to usher in a brand new age of security. The EX90 is getting two processing upgrades without delay for 2026.

First off, the processor is being upgraded to Nvidia’s newest Drive ATX system-on-chip processor. That retains it present and provides processing capability. Volvo is doubling down on the software-based car by including a second, redundant chip to the car. The result’s a greater than doubling in compute energy within the automotive, with an anticipated processing capability of 500 TOPS.

The brand new laptop isn’t for avid gamers, although this technique will far outperform most gaming rigs. Volvo is placing the additional processing capability to make use of to make its automobiles safer. We talked with Volvo Chief Expertise Officer and Chief Engineering Officer Anders Bell concerning the improve and he shared that Volvo is placing the compute to make use of by constructing out a modular, vertical ADAS stack.

This has immediately enabled Volvo so as to add new ADAS options, like emergency cease help, which displays driver consideration and after numerous alerts can safely pull over on the aspect of the highway. They’re additionally including an computerized e-call characteristic that may name the authorities within the occasion of no response from the driving force.

It’s thrilling to see Volvo persevering with to push the envelope on security because it doubles down on its funding in manufacturing operations within the US. The corporate is already beginning to tease the massive reveal of its subsequent totally electrical mannequin, the EX60, approaching January 21, 2026. Volvo’s executives are clearly enthusiastic about exhibiting it off to the world, and there’s the potential for a totally new modular structure being launched alongside it.