Volvo says first MPV will be Scandinavian living room on wheels

Volvo Cars says its first full-electric minivan will be like a Scandinavian living room on wheels.

The EM90, which Volvo is calling an MPV, short for multipurpose vehicle, is a new twist for the Swedish brand that is better known for SUVs and wagons. Volvo has never offered an MPV or minivan during its 96-year history.

Volvo has no current plans to sell the China-focused EM90 in Europe and the U.S.

Locations outside China are under consideration, a company spokesperson said.

Minivans have not been been strong-sellers in the U.S. and Europe for years.

In Europe, however, premium brands are regaining interest in the segment.

Lexus said in April that it would add the LM minivan to its lineup for the first time. The LM will take on the Mercedes-Benz V-Class in the luxury van niche.

In China, where the EM90 will debut on Nov. 12, MPVs are an important part of the market. First-half MPV sale were up a market-leading 26 percent to 484,000, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Volvo, which is owned by China's Geely Holding, needs a boost in the world's largest vehicle market.

China sales slipped 8 percent to 14,182 in July, compared with increases of 57 percent in the U.S. and 28 percent in Europe during the same period. Volvo's China sales were up 8 percent through seven months, compared with gains of 23 percent in both Europe and the U.S. during that period.

Media reports say the EM90 will share Geely's Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) with models such as the Zeekr 009, a three-row minivan that debuted in China in January. Zeekr said it sold 20,000 009s in its first five months on the market.

Zeekr has also said it does not plan to offer the 009 in Europe.

With the number 90 in its name, Volvo is signaling that the vehicle will be a large premium model, joining the EX90 flagship electric SUV, which is slightly smaller lengthwise and widthwise than the EM90, in its growing battery-powered lineup. A teaser photo of the EM90 depicts a boxy-looking design, which was common for the brand until it adopted curvier exteriors in the early 2000s. 

Volvo wants full-electric models to account for half of its planned 1.2 million sales by 2025. By 2030, Volvo aims to be an electric-only brand.

Earlier this year, Volvo debuted the EX30 small electric SUV, which will reach customers in early 2024, joining the C40 electric compact crossover and the battery-powered derivative of the XC40 compact SUV. With the EM90, Volvo's EV lineup will rise to five models, up from zero in 2019.

Volvo has said that it will launch a new full-electric car each year until 2025. Leading off was the EX90, which was revealed last November and was due to be on the road by this year but has been delayed by software issues.

This year's main debut was the EX30, making the EM90 the second new EV from Volvo in 2024. Volvo plans to return to its cadence of one new EV a year in 2024.

Volvo said Thursday that the EM90 is designed so that customers can "make the most of the time spent in the car." Adding that the minivan "creates room for your life."