This Is Volvo’s Most Important EV Yet

• Volvo will reveal its EX60 mid-size electric crossover on January 21, 2026.
• It’s the electric equivalent of Volvo’s best-seller, making it the most important Volvo EV yet.
• The company has been struggling with tariff issues, software problems and slower-than-expected EV sales. It really needs the EX60 to be a hit.

Volvo is in a bit of a pickle. The company bet big on a rapid, worldwide transition to electric cars. Yet it’s hit three brutal snags. First, EV sales have not grown as exponentially as many automakers planned for. Second, Volvo’s own software-defined EVs were heavily delayed and arrived full of bugs and quality issues. Finally, a global trade war has hurt Volvo more than just about any other auto brand: It builds heavily in China, and it builds very little in the U.S.

The EX60 is Volvo’s attempt to right the ship.

Volvo says the mid-size all-electric SUV will be the first car launched on its new “technology base,” likely its term for a software and electronics architecture. The EX30 and EX90 EVs already introduced Volvo’s first software-defined platform, but both models have been riddled with bugs. I noticed plenty of issues and missing features during my first drive of the EX90 last year, and recent reports suggest the problem isn’t solved. Volvo clearly has learned from this, though, as it sounds like the company is already launching a next-generation architecture that may address some of the issues with the first attempt.

Photo by: InsideEVs

The EX60 will also be Volvo’s longest-range EV ever, the company claims. The EX90 can go up to 310 miles on the EPA cycle already, so expect plenty of road-trip range. Given the name, too, we know it’ll be a roughly XC60-sized crossover with room for at least five. Beyond that, however, official details are scarce. Volvo won’t fully reveal the EX60 until January 21, 2026, the company announced Wednesday. Deliveries are expected “in the first half of 2026.”

Let’s hope there are no delays. Volvo needs mature, compelling EVs to supplant its aging gasoline and hybrid lineup, which is all built around a single 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine family. The EX30 was supposed to be the budget option; tariffs on Chinese-built cars killed that plan. The EX90 was supposed to replace the gas and hybrid XC90, but delays, pricing concerns and bugs led Volvo to do a last-minute emergency refresh of the XC90. That means three-row Volvo customers have to pick between an aged design or an immature one. 

The EX90 (right) was supposed to replace the XC90. But after EV sales growth slowed and the EX90 got delayed, Volvo did a last-minute update (pictured left) to keep the 10-year-old XC90 relevant. 

Photo by: Volvo

But mid-size customers seem well satisfied. The XC60 has been the best-selling Volvo for over a decade, and it sits at the heart of a vital segment. Mid-size crossover are also easier and cheaper to electrify than the three-row models, which are heavier and require bigger, more expensive batteries.

There’s only one catch: While Volvo is moving U.S.-market XC60 production to South Carolina to avoid tariffs, the EX60 will be built in Sweden. The potential trade deal between the European Union and the U.S. may reduce tariffs, but I’d still expect it to be pricier than a U.S.-built alternative.  

In order to succeed, Volvo will have to hit the mark price, feature content, software maturity, quality and reliability. It’s a big swing, and Volvo really can’t afford to miss.

Contact the author: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com