Volvo EX60 arrives with megacasting, moose-proofing, and Google Gemini AI

At a glance:

• Volvo's all-electric EX60 is its first model on the SPA3 EV platform, priced from $59,795 for the P6 Plus to $68,745 for the P10 AWD Ultra, with a P12 variant on the horizon.
• The EX60 introduces megacasting (replacing over 100 rear-floor parts with a single aluminum component), 800 V charging (10–80% in 16 minutes on a 350 kW charger), and cell-to-body battery integration.
• Volvo moose-tests every model — including the EX60, which hides a moose Easter egg under its side mirrors — and equips the EX60 with Google Gemini AI via its HuginCore software platform.

A new EV platform and a fresh direction for Volvo

Volvo unveiled the EX60 in January as the Swedish automaker's boldest electric move yet. Built on the all-new SPA3 platform — a scalable architecture designed from the ground up for EVs — the EX60 is the first Volvo to ride this chassis. Up to 400 miles (643 km) of range, 800 V charging, and cell-to-body integration position it as a direct challenger to established rivals from BMW, Tesla, and Hyundai. Volvo plans to use SPA3 as the foundation for a growing range of future vehicles, making the EX60 something of a proof of concept. The company has already learned hard lessons from its earlier EVs: the compact EX30 launched at the end of 2023 but was discontinued this year amid shifting market conditions and tariffs, while the three-row EX90 soldiered on. The EX60 aims to thread the needle between the EX30's affordability and the EX90's size.

Two trims now, a third coming

The EX60 launches in two powertrain configurations:

• EX60 P10 — all-wheel drive, more powerful, longer range
• EX60 P6 — rear-wheel drive Pricing starts at $59,795 for the entry-level P6 Plus and rises to $68,745 for the top-spec P10 AWD Ultra. Volvo says a higher-output P12 variant, with even more power and range, is on the horizon. The P10 Ultra is the trim that adds a 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system delivering 1,820 watts of three-dimensional Dolby Atmos sound.

Megacasting: one piece to replace over a hundred

One of the EX60's most talked-about production innovations is megacasting — a technique that pours molten aluminum into a single, complex die-cast component. In the EX60, this replaces more than 100 individual parts in the rear floor section with one efficient piece. Volvo's Torslanda plant near Gothenburg, Sweden, houses two megacasting machines, and the company invested roughly 10 billion Swedish kronor (about $1.1 billion) in the facility. Volvo engineer Mats Brodin, who describes himself as an "architect of megacasting," says the rear floor is cast from 50 percent recyclable aluminum sourced from post-consumer materials. The alloy — primarily aluminum with a smaller amount of silicon — is injected into the die in roughly 90 milliseconds and then takes about a minute to solidify. The design incorporates thin, buttress-like channels in the wheel wells that handle structural loads, drawing a visual parallel to the flying buttresses of Gothic cathedrals. Volvo isn't alone in adopting megacasting. Tesla pioneered the technique at scale, Honda runs six 6,000-ton machines at its Anna, Ohio plant, Toyota is using it, and Ford turned to megacasting to help hit a $30,000 price point on an electric pickup. Volvo's approach is more conservative: because a damaged diecast section is difficult to repair and more likely to be scrapped, the company megacasts only the rear floor rather than a larger assembly. Still, the EX60 is the first Volvo ever to use the technique, a plan that has been in development since at least 2022.

Cell-to-body battery and blistering fast charging

The EX60 uses a structural battery design that integrates cells directly into the vehicle's floor and walls — what Volvo calls "cell-to-body." Rather than bolting on a heavy battery pack (as in a GMC Hummer EV, for example), the battery becomes the floor itself, cutting weight, freeing cabin space, and boosting range. It's a strategy also seen in the BMW iX3 and Tesla Model Y. Charging is equally aggressive. A 350 kW charger can take the P6 and P10 from 10 to 80 percent in just 16 minutes. Combined with the 800 V architecture, that's faster than any previous Volvo model. During testing around Barcelona, the EX60's one-pedal driving proved notably smooth — the author noted barely touching the brakes on twisty roads, a testament to refined regenerative braking that avoids the jerky feel common in many EVs.

Moose-proofing: a very Scandinavian safety priority

Volvo takes moose strikes so seriously that it crash-tests every model with a life-size rubber moose dummy weighing nearly 800 pounds. In Scandinavia, moose density is about 3.5 times higher than in Alaska, and collisions — especially at dusk and dawn — are a real danger. When a moose is struck head-on, its thin legs absorb the initial impact through crumple zones and the bumper, but the animal's half-ton body slams into the windshield and roof, dramatically reducing passenger survival odds. For the EX60, Volvo safety expert Isabelle Stockman says the car was designed with super-strong A-pillars and a reinforced header to shield occupants. The moose Easter egg — a nod hidden under the side mirrors — signals how seriously the brand treats the scenario. It's one element of Volvo's broader safety push, which has long been a brand differentiator.

HuginCore, Google Gemini, and conversational AI

The EX60's computing brain is HuginCore, Volvo's proprietary software-defined vehicle platform named after a mythological Norse raven. HuginCore handles over-the-air updates with minimal customer disruption and powers the car's AI features. At the center of that is Google Gemini, which enables natural-language conversations with the vehicle. Users can say things like "Hey Google, it's hot in the front row. Can you help?" and receive contextual responses. The command "Hey Google, let's talk" opens an ongoing dialogue that works like an ever-rolling bar tab.

Interior quirks and the sound system

Volvo sticks with its minimalist interior design language for the EX60, but the reliance on touchscreens will divide buyers. The author noted frustration with digital vent controls, particularly in hot climates: adjusting airflow requires tapping the screen, which can be inconvenient when you want to quickly redirect air away from your face. Those who disliked the EX30's touchscreen-heavy operation may feel the same way here. On the upside, the P10 Ultra's 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system delivers 1,820 watts of Dolby Atmos audio. The author tested it with hard-hitting acts like Rammstein and Rob Zombie and found the surround-sound segmentation across the cabin genuinely impressive.

What's next

Volvo is betting that the EX60 — with its SPA3 scalability, megacasting efficiency, fast charging, and AI-powered cockpit — can compete in a crowded EV market. The P12 variant is expected to follow with even more power and range, and the SPA3 platform should spawn additional models. Whether buyers in the United States, where EV sentiment has cooled, will embrace the EX60 at its $60K-plus starting price remains an open question, but Volvo's production refinements and safety-first engineering give it a credible shot at gaining traction.