Volvo Issues Statement Saying Diesel Isn't Dead... Yet

Volvo appears to have backtracked a little from its CEO’s apparent admission that the firm has stopped developing diesel engines.

Hakan Samuelsson made the comments in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine, as we reported yesterday, but after an explosion of coverage the CEO has issued a second statement that suggests Volvo diesels might not quite be dead yet.

Explaining that the comments may have been misinterpreted at some point in the chain, whether it was by the Frankfurter, Google Translate or the media, Mr Samuelsson said:

“Volvo Cars, like all car makers, is considering how diesel engines will be used in future. It is clear to me that Volvo needs diesel in order to meet its emission targets and for this reason I am convinced that diesel will play a crucial role in coming years.

“We have just launched a brand new generation of petrol and diesel engines, highlighting our commitment to this technology. As a result, a decision on the development of a new generation of diesel engines is not required.

“But it is also apparent that electrification in the long term will play an important role and Volvo will act to meet consumer demands as and when the time is right.”

So, to clarify, Volvo has just finished developing a new range of diesels that should see the firm through to around 2023, but at the moment there’s no decision on whether there will be more after that. This one may rumble on for a while.