Every All-New Volvo Will Be Hybrid Or Electric From 2019
Every new Volvo launched from 2019 will have some kind of electric motor in the drivetrain, the company has announced. Every single car that leaves the factory will be at the very least a mild hybrid, making the Gothenburg-based safety merchant the first major car maker to commit to such a strategy.
We probably should have been expecting this, seeing as Volvo’s new performance sibling Polestar is going down the same route. The Geely-owned firms are doing their best to lead the way when it comes to wholesale adoption of electrification, now that so many people have proved that it works.
There will be three stages of Volvo’s electric dream. The first will be mild hybrids, where a 48-volt electrical system similar to that seen on the new Audi A8 will cut the engine wherever possible, like when the car is slowing down or stops. A motor will then restart the pistons quickly and smoothly when needed.
Volvo will skip closed hybrids altogether, so there’s no plan to do things the way the Prius does; i.e. having self-generated electric power always on tap for short bursts. Instead, the Swedes are going straight for plug-in hybrids with greater fully-electric driving range thanks to bigger, heavier batteries. Volvo already launched the first V60 plug-in diesel-electric hybrid back in 2012.
The third and most extreme grade of electrification is to go completely sans combustion, and Volvo already has plans for five fully-electric cars between 2019 and 2021; three in the Volvo brand and two high-performance ones badged as Polestars. A range of petrol-electric and diesel-electric hybrids will join the ice-cap-friendly party.
Hakan Samuelsson, President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars, said:
“This is about the customer. People increasingly demand electrified cars, and we want to respond to our customers’ current and future needs. You can now pick and choose whichever electrified Volvo you wish.
“This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car. Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of one million electrified cars by 2025. When we said it, we meant it. This is how we are going to do it.”
Comments
For most manufacturers, we’d worry about added weight due to the hybrid system. However, this is Volvo, and heavier tanks are definitely not a bad thing :D.
Please no..
Cool, electric tanks
The problem is that hybrids are extremely subjective as to whether they work. I brought a BMW 330e and as I do most my driving locally and charging at work I’m doing 150+mpg… if i was doing distance driving it would be down to about 40mpg.
You can’t say hybrids are obosolete as in some cases… like me they do work and i like the flexibility of not charging if i do go long distance.
Each individual is different. So I think its not great that Volvo will just offer hrbrids or MHEV… not all people will benefit
Now I get why Volvo and polestar splitted! Polestar doest’t want the hybrid stuff
Too much hate on cars not intended for us…cool down guys
No why
Electric tank-to run over enemys in silence
I’m in China rn and you can definitely tell the Chinese are going green, there are electric, hybrid, and CNG vehicles everywhere, like busses and cars.
Very good, I myself am surprised they are making this kind of progress. (The 2019 part). I knew this would eventually happen, but it happens fast! With the all electric cars, we have many people who can afford it switching to Teslas here in the United States. Just like the United States with Teslas, this Volvo thing will impact Sweden and put pressure on other countries. And me? I’ll try and save up for an upcoming Polestar EV! :)