Sweden vs Germany, this is how the future Volvo EX60 wants to unsettle the new electric cars from BMW and Mercedes

Volvo is determined to make electric cars its main battleground, despite the numbers worldwide saying otherwise. The Swedes are keeping an eye on everything their direct competitors do, and they are not oblivious to the significant progress that those from Munich have made with the second generation of the BMW iX3.

In a matter of months, the bar has been raised several notches all at once, and while the new Mercedes CLA surprised by coming close to 800 kilometers of range on a single charge, and is supposed to be a compact despite its 4.7 meters in length, this record has been surpassed by the 805 kilometers homologated by a D-segment model like the new iX3.

Volvo joins the prismatic battery trend

It is clear that the Bavarians want customers to choose the electric over a diesel or plug-in hybrid X3… The bar has been raised several notches all at once, and this is where Volvo is obliged to play its cards, those it has boasted about for a long time with its firm commitment to electric cars. And one of them is its innovative cell-to-body technology.

A system in which the cells that make up the battery are mounted directly on the chassis and not inside a box that is installed between the axles. A technique that brings significant advantages, as it not only considerably reduces the weight of the assembly but also reduces the space occupied by the battery while helping to increase torsional rigidity.

Volvo's assault on German electric cars lies in range

Another important card is the battery technology, which will debut in this new Volvo EX60 in mid-2026. In a press conference at the American factory, Anders Bell, Volvo's technology director, stated that the EX60 will use large prismatic battery cell technology.

This means they will no longer be round, as cylindrical ones are usually called, allowing them to use different battery chemistries, which will enable them to keep costs low by using lithium ions or lithium iron phosphate (LFP). The head of Volvo has confirmed that this latter option is on the table for the new EX60, which will allow them to offer a more economical version with lower range without having to design different battery packs.

New details are emerging about this new EX60, but it is clear that the Swedes have placed enormous confidence in it to shine. And that involves significantly exceeding the 700 kilometers of range that the ES90 has. Perhaps with the new BMW iX3 or the electric Mercedes GLC it is more complicated, but with the Audi Q6 e-tron and the Porsche Macan it may be more possible...