Volvo Puts Drug-Level Addictive Tech in the EX90 and Polestar 3, Don't Call the Feds Yet

The Swedes have been at the forefront of automobile development since they began making cars. The brand has gained a well-deserved reputation for high-quality craftsmanship. But their latest antic is, from a marketing viewpoint, the rough equivalent of what doping is for track athletes.

Before becoming enraged about this, please read on. Volvo is putting artificial suns in their EX90 electric SUV. The sheer outrageousness of this statement can only be surpassed by the carmaker's ingenuity. The company is the first automobile manufacturer to install sunlight-like LEDs for ambient illumination.

The blunt question is, "What’s the catch since the sun lights the cabin through the windows?" Not during the night, not with an overcast, and not where it doesn't shine. This is how things are for most of the year in the Scandinavian peninsula.

Alright, Volvo uses very advanced technology to mimic the Sun, thanks to the LEDs supplied by Seoul Semiconductors. The Koreans have developed a lighting technology that mimics the natural light spectrum –reproduces sun rays, in a way. The bottom line is that Asians have eliminated excessive blue light from their SunLike (that's the actual commercial name) LEDs.

What's the connection to the aforementioned doping simile? According to the Seoul-based company (which cites a Harvard Medical School study), light is addictive. Not like "I just have to have that B-body Mopar"-addictive, but serious narcotics-level addictive.

The prestigious University is referring to the light produced by the Sun, which triggers mammalian organisms (humans included) to secrete a "powerful drug." It's called beta-endorphin, a substance similar to an opioid. It has a "strong analgesic effect and addictive ability in addition to making us feel pleasure."

That's what Volvo is doing – overdosing its EX90 all-electric SUV with addictive natural healthy light. Beat that, everyone else. The rationale behind their innovation is to offer the occupants light exposure similar to what the natural circadian rhythm of our bodies is accustomed to.

In other words, when someone enters the SunLike-equipped Volvo, the interior light will have the same effect on the body as sunrays (play the video to see what the Swedes mean). We all know – or should know by now! – how screen time exposure negatively impacts us.

Regarding light, the amount of its blue spectrum and the unnoticeable – but very harmful – flickering get us. Most LEDs emit very high-frequency bursts of light, not a continuous beam – like a candle, bonfire, or Sun. Seoul Semiconductors claims their product is the next best thing to that giant fiery globe that lights up our days.

And Volvo backs that statement by introducing the Korean technology to the EX90 flagship – and the Polestar 3 – as standard on all non-decorative lights (ceiling, floor, door pocket, or cargo bay). The Swedish carmaker also declares that their SunLike cars can help reduce eyestrain and headaches associated with artificially generated blue-rich flickering light.