Volvo EX90 Software & Hardware Update: What’s New for 2026
Volvo EX90 Software & Hardware Update: What’s Changing for 2026 and Beyond
Volvo has acknowledged that its flagship electric SUV, the EX90, launched with several software and hardware shortcomings. In response, the company is rolling out a sweeping update package for the 2026 model year—and offering many of the upgrades free of charge to existing 2025 EX90 owners. These updates include a shift to an 800-volt architecture, a new central compute platform (Nvidia Drive AGX Orin), enhanced safety features, and improved over-the-air (OTA) capabilities.
Below is a detailed breakdown of what is new, what existing EX90 owners can expect, and what it means for the EV segment going forward.
1. From 400V to 800V Architecture: Faster Charging & Efficiency Gains
One of the headline changes is the upgrade to an 800-volt electrical system, replacing the previous 400V architecture in the EX90 lineup. Volvo claims that this change enables faster charging rates, lower heat generation during charging, and better energy efficiency.
- Charging Claims: Volvo states that with the new 800V system, the EX90 can recover up to 155 miles (~250 km)of range in just 10 minutes under ideal conditions.
- Thermal Control: The higher voltage lowers current for the same power, reducing waste heat in conductors and enabling more aggressive fast charging without excessive heat.
- Weight and Component Optimization: Volvo also notes the possibility of using smaller wiring and more compact powertrain components, which can reduce weight and material usage.
However, not all 2025 EX90s will receive the full 800V system retrofit: Volvo indicates that 2025 owners will get the compute/hardware upgrade but not the voltage platform itself. MotorTrend+1
2. New Compute Platform: Dual Nvidia Drive AGX Orin
Arguably the cornerstone of this update is replacing the EX90’s existing central computer setup with a dual Nvidia DRIVE AGX Orin platform, delivering around 500 TOPS (trillion operations per second) of compute power. This is intended to be the “brain” for all software-defined capabilities—from safety to infotainment.
- Retrofitting 2025 models: Volvo will offer a one-time, free hardware upgrade of the 2025 EX90 units in service centers so they can host the same compute power as the 2026 models.
- Enabling scaling: With the new compute platform, Volvo can more easily push OTA software updates, advanced safety algorithms, and potentially future autonomous driving logic.
- Unified architecture: This consolidation makes future development more efficient, as Volvo can standardize software development on one powerful hardware baseline. InsideEVs+1
This is a bold move—hardware retrofits at this magnitude are rare in the automotive world, especially for existing customers.
3. Enhanced Safety & Driver Support Features
With the new architecture, Volvo unlocks or improves several advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and safety capabilities:
- Emergency Stop Assist (ESA): If the driver becomes unresponsive or does not respond to warnings (e.g. medical emergency), the car will safely bring itself to a stop within the lane.
- Emergency Call (e-call) Integration: After the car stops, the system can automatically place an emergency call to a call center, allowing voice communication or dispatch of help. CleanTechnica
- Automatic Steering in Low Visibility / Darkness: The upgrade enables better lane-change and avoidance behavior even in dark or low-light conditions, using the car’s lidar/camera systems.
- Improved Parking Assist (Park Pilot): Enhancements to parallel parking and other automated maneuvers are included.
- New Safety Use Cases with Lidar Activation: Some of the EX90’s lidar hardware, previously dormant, may now be leveraged for active safety.
Overall, Volvo is aiming to deliver on the promises it made at launch but failed to fully deliver, given the software instability issues reported by early owners. InsideEVs+2MotorTrend+2
4. Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates & Software Policy
Updates won’t be limited to once-off hardware retrofits. Volvo plans to leverage the newly upgraded system to deliver regular OTA updates, with a target of four major software updates per year plus minor patches.
- OTA Mechanism: The EX90 already supports OTA updates, and the software release notes show incremental improvements (version 1.3.18 in June 2025, 1.3.17 in June, etc.).
- What 1.3.18 Delivers: Improvements to digital key reliability, occupant presence reminders, better unlock performance in wet weather, refinements to parking camera, UI tweaks, and head-up display updates.
- Software segmentation by region: Not every feature or update will be available in all markets; features may vary based on region, model, and hardware. Volvo Cars
Because the new compute platform is more capable, Volvo can deliver more intense and frequent software enhancements without overtaxing the hardware.
5. What 2025 EX90 Owners Should Know
If you own (or plan to own) a 2025 EX90, here’s what to expect:
- You are eligible for a free hardware retrofit of the central computer to the new Orin platform, via a scheduled service visit.
- You will not get the full 800V electrical infrastructure upgrade, which is only for the 2026 hardware baseline.
- After the retrofit, your car will be capable of receiving the same software and safety enhancements that newer models receive.
- You must take your car to an authorized Volvo service center to perform the upgrade. Volvo is prioritizing early adopters to rebuild confidence.
- Owners who do not upgrade risk missing future software enhancements, as older hardware may not support new features.
Volvo is aware of the reputational risk posed by the initial launch issues, and this upgrade is as much about restoring trust as it is technical improvement. MotorTrend+2Autocar+2
6. Implications and Significance in the EV Market
These updates carry broader implications beyond Volvo:
- Benchmark for EV brands: Hardware retrofits of this scale are rare. Volvo’s move may influence other automakers to plan for upgradable architectures from day one.
- Software-defined vehicle (SDV) evolution: The EX90 is one of the EVs set up as an SDV—i.e. with software controlling many functionalities. This upgrade underscores both the promise and the pitfalls of that model.
- Charging infrastructure paradigm: 800V architectures are increasingly common in high-end EVs. By upgrading mid-lifecycle, Volvo helps avoid early obsolescence for EX90 owners.
- Customer expectations shift: As OTA delivery becomes more central, customers may expect continuous feature improvements rather than static capabilities at purchase.
✅ Summary
Volvo’s 2026 update for the EX90 addresses one of the most common EV pitfalls: launching before the software and hardware mature. The shift to 800V, a powerful new compute platform, enhanced safety systems, and robust OTA support show Volvo’s commitment to redeeming its flagship EV. For 2025 owners, the free computer retrofit is a rare gesture in the industry and signals that Volvo sees long-term software overhauls as central to future EV competitiveness.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Sources & References
Volvo Press / Media Release — Upgraded EX90 software & features (dual Nvidia Orin, charging upgrade) Volvo Cars Media
The Verge — Overview of EX90 problems and promise of software improvements The Verge
InsideEVs — Deep dive into the software/hardware retrofit move and owner complaints InsideEVs+1
MotorTrend / Edmunds / Autocar — Details of charging, hardware upgrades, feature activation MotorTrend+2Edmunds+2
Volvo Support Portal — Release notes for software versions (1.3.18, 1.3.17) and feature improvements Volvo Cars
CleanTechnica — Summary of new features and performance claims CleanTechnica
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