2026 Volvo ES90 Electric Sedan First Look: 670-HP Fastback Coming for Tesla
Volvo takes on the Tesla Model S with an all-new electric sedan dubbed the ES90, coming soon.
The Tesla Model S has enjoyed more than a decade of market segment domination as pretty much the only full-size electric sedan on sale, at least until recently, with the arrival of the Lucid Air and Mercedes-Benz EQS. Volvo, now, too is jumping into the fray with the 2026 Volvo ES90 electric fastback sedan to compete with Tesla even more directly on the back of a booming sales year helped by EV and hybrid sales. Here's what we know so far about Volvo's new flagship electric sedan.
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The design of the new ES90 is dramatic in its simplicity, with somewhat predictable and identifiably Volvo elements like the grille, "Thor's hammer" t-shaped headlights, and taillight setup with the vertical slats running up the sides of the rear window. Volvo claims a drag coefficient of 0.25, meaning the shape is fairly slippery in the wind.
The interior is said to be inspired by Scandinavian nature in its material use and colorways, includes a glass roof and a Bowers and Wilkins sound setup, and features full occupant monitoring safety systems so you don't leave kids in the back seat or take your eyes off the road for too long. There's a 9-inch driver display paired with a head-up display and 14.5-inch central touchscreen with built-in Google services and Waze navigation.
The ES90 will be based on the same 800-volt SPA2 vehicle platform that sits under the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 electric SUVs. It's offered with a three drivetrain configurations: the Single Motor layout is rear-wheel drive and offers 329 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque and a net-usable 88 kWh battery pack; the Twin Motor setup generates a combined output of 442 hp and 494 lb-ft through all wheels with a net-usable 102 kWh battery; finally, the Twin Motor Performance setup offers a whopping 670 hp and 635 lb-ft total through all wheels, also with a 102 kWh net-usable pack. That all includes bidirectional charging capability and the ability to juice from 10-80 percent state of charge in just 20 minutes at 350 kW.
The ES90 Single Motor scoots from 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, the Twin Motor does it in 5.3 seconds, and the Twin Motor Performance manages it in just 3.9 seconds. EPA range for the lineup is still to be determined; Volvo claims just more than 400 miles of range for the Single Motor on the Euro WLTP test cycle, and more than 430 miles for the Twin Motor and Performance versions.
Depending on configuration, weight comes in between 5,216 pounds to 5,797 pounds, and the ES90 measures in at 196.9 inches long, 76.5 inches wide, and 61 inches tall, with a 122.1-inch wheelbase (the Model S measures in at 197.7 inches long, 78.2 inches wide, and 56.3 inches tall with a 116.5-inch wheelbase).
The competition, namely the Tesla Model S, is currently available in two configurations, including dual-motor all-wheel drive and the higher-performing tri-motor all-wheel drive Plaid versions. The "slowest" of those still gets 670 hp and more than 300 miles of range, so the ES90 will likely offer a softer, more luxurious angle than the sportier Tesla, though just this week Tesla announced updates are coming for the Model S and Model X. Pricing for the Tesla Model S and Volvo EX90 SUV starts at around $80,000, so we wager something like that for the ES90 when it goes on sale later this year as well.
Justin Westbrook eventually began writing about new cars in college after starting an obsessive action movie blog. That developed into a career covering news, reviews, motorsports, and a further obsession with car culture and the next-gen technology and design styles that are underway, transforming the automotive industry as we know it.
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