SPA2 platform Volvo and Polestar in basic rear-wheel drive

“Just a minute, we haven’t communicated that yet,” said Henrik Green, Head of Global Advanced Technology & Sustainability, when we asked him about the character of the SPA2 base in Stockholm. He appears to be allowed to reveal it: in the base, this is a rear-wheel drive platform. This adds Volvo to the long list of EV builders using this configuration.

In fact, rear-wheel drive is the norm in EV land. For understandable reasons – more grip, less driving forces in the steering wheel – many manufacturers prefer this to front-wheel drive in electric cars. Exceptions are Renault and Nissan, plus many EVs that are still based on an internal combustion engine car. Volvo and Polestar have also been working with a front-wheel drive layout for EVs so far. After all, the Polestar 2 shares its basis with the electric version of the Volvo XC40, which is also available with combustion engines and is therefore ‘just’ delivered with front-wheel drive.

The question is, of course, what ‘basically rear-wheel drive’ exactly means for the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3, which always have four-wheel drive for the time being. In traditionally driven models, this means that the engine is placed longitudinally and space must be made for a cardan shaft. None of that plays a role with electric cars. After all, four-wheel drive here simply means that an electric motor is placed on the front and rear axle. In theory, the rear one can also be omitted, after which a front-wheel drive is still created. However, Green likes to explain that there is indeed a difference: “It mainly has to do with the suspension. With rear-wheel drive, other forces arise and that has been taken into account with the EX90”. Whether there will actually be a two-wheel drive version is unknown. With future electric Volvos with a sedan or station wagon shape, this may be more obvious, but then we at least know which axle will be driven. The rear axle, just like before on the 240, 740 and 940.