Volvo celebrates production launch for all-electric EX90 SUV at $1.2B SC campus (2024)

Volvo Cars has started production of the battery-powered EX90 at its Ridgeville plant, with the first electric sport-utility vehiclescheduled for delivery to an unnamed U.S. customer later this year.

The carmaker announced the manufacturing milestone on June 5.

"The first customer-bound EX90 that rolled off the Charleston line was a striking model painted in Denim Blue," Volvo said Wednesday in a written statement.

It also said the factory off Interstate 26 in Berkeley County is "in a celebratory mood this week," with initial deliveries of the new EVs scheduled for the second half of 2024.

The EX90 is the first all-electric model to be built at the $1.2 billion Lowcountry plant, which also produces the S60 sedan and will build the Polestar 3 sport-utility vehicle later this year for its sister brand. An EX90 for the Chinese market will also be built in that country. All told, the Ridgeville factory has the capacity to build up to 150,000 vehicles per year.

The seven-seat EX90 has a range of up to 300 miles on a single charge and includes new safety technology that can detect obstructions even on dark, unmarked roads. It's also equipped with interior cameras that can monitor driver fatigue and whether passengers are accidentally locked inside.

The SUV has a list price starting at $77,990 including destination charges.

The vehicle will also be Volvo's first to include a supply chain tracker that will identify the origin of key raw materials in batteries to ensure they are responsibly sourced. Called a "passport," the technology will also disclose the carbon footprint of each vehicle's power pack.

“The fully electric Volvo EX90 is the start of a new era for Volvo Cars— a new era for safety, sustainability and human-centric technology,” CEO Jim Rowan said in a written statement. “The EX90 is proudly manufactured in the USA and reflects our long-term commitment to our people in South Carolina and the broader U.S. market.”

Volvo said it has made "extensive investments" in recent years at the Ridgeville factory, its only U.S. manufacturing facility, with expansions and improvements to the body and paint shops and the construction of a battery pack production line.

"With these investments, our U.S. production facility is well-prepared for this new era in its still-young history and reflects our long-term commitment to South Carolina and the United States," the automaker said.

The 1,600-acre Lowcountry plant was announced in 2015 and started production in 2018. The site employs more than 2,000 workers and expects to nearly double its payroll figure to 3,910 by 2028.

Volvo said its plan calls for EVs to make up half of all sales by 2025, and the automaker has vowed to produce only battery-powered cars by 2030. The Swedish automaker majority owned by China's Geely Holding Group reported U.S. sales of 51,708 vehicles through May— a 10.4 percent year-over-year increase.