Volvo's New EV Platform SPA3 to Enable Low-Slung Sedans, Paving Way for Electric S60/V90 Successors

Volvo's new all-electric SPA3 platform is expected to help the brand re-enter the low-slung sedan and wagon markets. Designed specifically for electric vehicles, SPA3 overcomes the limitations of adapting internal combustion engine platforms, offering greater flexibility in battery layout—allowing the battery pack to extend forward, reducing cells beneath rear footwells, and incorporating downward-facing battery terminals to enhance structural efficiency. This approach prevents the vehicle height from being unnecessarily raised, enabling a genuinely low center of gravity and sleek, aerodynamic styling. In contrast, the current ES90—based on the older SPA2 platform—suffers from excessive ride height due to its flat battery placement, an issue SPA3 aims to resolve. Although Volvo has not confirmed specific model plans, foreign media speculate that the company could launch electric successors to the S60 and V90 based on the SPA3 platform used by the EX60. Chief Technology Officer Anders Börjesson emphasized that the technology now exists to support diverse body styles, with final product decisions to be made separately.