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How the new Volvo EX90 electric SUV adds revolution to the evolution

The all-new, all-electric Volvo EX90 does not appear to be radically different from the XC90, the vehicle it will eventually replace. It has nearly the same dimensions, inside and out. It sports familiar, familial design cues, including T-shaped “ThorÂ’s Hammer” headlights, a squared-off hood and roofline, sharply-swaged and deeply-scalloped flanks and tall taillights that fringe the hatch. Inside, three accessible rows of seats are done up in an upscale Scandinavian Modern motif, like an Arne Jacobsen furniture showroom. But if one looks closely, one begins to notice key differences. First, there is the blunt, closed snout up front. It may be grille-less, but itÂ’s still bedecked with VolvoÂ’s Iron Mark. Then, dead centered above the rearview mirror, like a pair of reading glasses canted atop oneÂ’s forehead, is a protruding hump. These hint at the EXÂ’s most comprehensive distinctions from its predecessor. The new full-size crossover is engine-less, the first Volvo to be built on an all-new battery-powered electric vehicle platform. And housed in that hump, is another first, the initial consumer vehicular integration of a functional lidar — like radar, but using light instead of sound waves — used to allow the carÂ’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to “see” further down the road, even around bends and through some objects. Eventually, allegedly, it will also allow for “unsupervised driving” capabilities. Both of these features are signifiers of VolvoÂ’s latest, but ongoing, missions. The first is its commitment to a full electrification of its entire passenger car fleet, which it plans to accomplish by the end of this decade. The second is the brandÂ’s well-known leadership in vehicular safety. Volvo claims that its new suite of sensors (16 ultra-sonic, eight cameras, five radars and the lidar) can help prevent 10% of vehicular collisions and 20% of serious injuries, part of the brandÂ’s mission to prevent anyone from being killed or seriously injured in a Volvo. ThereÂ’s even a group of sensors monitoring the driverÂ’s wellbeing to make sure theyÂ’re not sleepy or wasted, while concurrently scanning the passenger compartment to ensure that no child or pet was left behind due to that aforementioned tired or inebriated state. If they forget, theyÂ’ll get an alert on their phone, which is also their key, and the A/C or heater will automatically turn on so the precious (yet forgotten) cargo doesnÂ’t bake/freeze.

Volvo's latest export from Sweden: paid parental leave

STOCKHOLM — Volvo Cars will offer all its employees worldwide 24 weeks paid parental leave in a bid to support female executives and equal parenting. The carmaker, which is based in Sweden but owned by China's Geely Holding, has over 40,000 employees. From next month, all staff who have worked in Volvo plants and offices for at least a year will be entitled to the leave each time they have a child and will receive 80% of their base pay during the period, the company said on Tuesday. Sweden is one of few countries that already offers leave by law for either parent. "Some countries do not offer any paid leave to new parents, or exclude certain groups of parents – the latter is particularly true for fathers," the company, which previously did not have a global policy but adapted to local regulations, said in a statement. Around a third of Volvo's senior managers are currently female. The company aims to raise that share to 50%, a spokeswoman said, adding that Volvo's new policy will improve conditions for staff on parental leave not least in China and the United States. "When parents are supported to balance the demands of work and family, it helps to close the gender gap and allows everyone to excel in their careers," said Volvo Cars CEO Hakan Samuelsson. The global policy applies to either parent and the leave can be taken anytime within the first three years of parenthood. In Sweden, new parents are in general entitled by law to around a year of parental leave on up to 80% pay.  

California adapts ZEV mandate with PHEVs for smaller automakers

California is the nation's largest market for zero-emissions vehicles with over 100,000 of them estimated to be on the roads there. The state's goal is to keep that number growing every year. To that end, the California Air Resources Board is now tweaking its rules in a way that might not boost ZEVs but could mean more plug-in hybrids for the Golden State. Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Volvo asked for an exemption to the state's zero-emissions vehicle mandate last year due to their relatively small development budgets compared to larger automakers. CARB denied their request but did craft a compromise, according to Automotive News. Rather than being required to offer a ZEV in the state, companies with an annual global revenue of less than $40 billion, like those in this group, may instead sell plug-in hybrids to earn ZEV credits. The companies aren't completely off the hook, though. If these plug-in hybrids don't earn enough credits, the corporations must buy them on the market to make up the difference. Automakers with popular electric models like Nissan and Tesla have made a big business through this trading system by selling their surplus to rivals. Tesla alone pocketed $51 million in the first quarter from this part of its business, according to Automotive News. The changes to the regulations also aren't set in stone, yet. CARB is meeting in 2016 and could adjust things further at that time. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Government/Legal Green Jaguar Land Rover Mazda Mitsubishi Subaru Volvo Emissions Electric Hybrid California zev credits zero emissions vehicle