First, Volvo dropped all its five-, six- and eight-cylinder engines for an all three- and four-cylinder line-up. Soon, it’ll drop internal combustion engines altogether.
Automotive News Europe reports the company’s CEO, Hakan Samuelsson, has committed to becoming an electric vehicle-only brand within the next decade.
Samuelsson was speaking at the Financial Times Future of the Car Summit, where the topic of a ban on internal combustion engines came up – and he’s for it, calling it a better way to stimulate electric vehicle sales growth than incentives.
The upcoming UK ban on sales of new ICE-powered cars comes into effect in 2030 and he says Volvo is ready, and will transition to a full-electric line-up even before this is mandatory.
“I would be surprised if we wouldn’t deliver only electric cars from 2030,” he said, adding it’s important to have clear rules as to when automakers should stop selling ICE-powered vehicles.
He cited “old fashioned clear rules” as the reason why seat belts, airbags and anti-lock brakes became common fitment.
“That was implemented rather fast, and that was not done with any type of incentives or credit points,” he said.
Volvo has previously set a target for 20 per cent of its global sales this year to be electrified vehicles and for half its global sales to be full-electric by 2025.
It’s introducing its first all-electric model, the XC40 Recharge EV, which will arrive here in the second half of next year.
The company also produces the related 2 under its Polestar brand.
Both use a dual-motor electric powertrain and a 78kWh battery pack, with total system outputs of 300kW of power and 660Nm of torque
The XC40 Recharge EV has a claimed electric range of 418km.
It’ll join the newly introduced XC40 Recharge Plug-In Hybrid, with Volvo continuing its rollout of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
That rollout took one step back this year, however, with Volvo Australia discontinuing the S60 T8 and V60 T8 plug-in hybrids.
Volvo has confirmed it’ll introduce a sub-XC40 electric crossover based on corporate parent Geely’s new Sustainable Experience Architecture. It’s expected to wear the XC10 or XC20 name.
Volvo isn’t the only company planning to be electric-only by 2030, with Bentley making the same pledge.
