- New patent images filed in the US show the EM90 with one key change over the Chinese model.
- Despite recent reports, Volvo says it doesn’t plan to sell the EM90 in the United States.
Rumors of the Volvo EM90 minivan launching in the United States have kicked into overdrive after the company made a recent patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Not only that, but the vehicle depicted in the patent images appears to be a plug-in hybrid, while the EM90 introduced in China is all-electric.
The crew at Car and Driver recently uncovered patents for the Volvo EM90. They show the minivan looking just like the one sold in China, except for one key detail. Whereas the Chinese model has a charging port on the left rear side, the vehicle depicted in these renderings also has a flap on the right rear side.
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This has prompted C&D to speculate that the model shown could be a plug-in hybrid, with the flag on the right serving as the fuel filler, while the charging port remains in the same position as the EV. However, it’s worth noting that there are several EVs on the market that have charging ports on both sides, like several ones from Audi, making public charging a little easier. As such, it’s possible Volvo could do the same with the EM90.
Volvo’s Hybrid Plans
The emergence of this patent prompted suggestions that a plug-in hybrid EM90 could be the new hybrid Volvo has been promising to build at its Charleston factory in South Carolina. However, in a statement issued in response to the original story, Volvo denied any plans of selling the EM90 in the US and downplayed the possibility of it being the hybrid to be built in the US.
“[Volvo does] not have any plans to bring EM90 to the U.S. [Volvo] will share more details about the future hybrid to come to our Charleston plant at a later date,” the automaker said.
Of course, this begs the question as to why Volvo went to the trouble of patenting the vehicle in the US if it has no intention of selling it locally? It may have done so on the off chance that it reconsiders and decides to sell the EM90 in the United States.
