In 2017, manufacturers are queuing up to release hybrid and electric cars, but Volvo may have made the biggest statement yet. In an announcement this morning, the Swedish car company announced its entire range would be electrified after 2019. That doesn’t mean every car will be all-electric, like a Tesla for example. Instead, it means every car Volvo sells after 2019 will have an electric motor installed.
In the statement released today, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars, Håkan Samuelsson 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,” he added.
Between now and 2019 Volvo is aiming to introduce several new electric cars across its model range, ranging from all-electric EVs, to plug-in hybrids and ‘mild-hybrids’. Volvo also says there will be five pure EVs release between 2019 and 2021 – three made by Volvo and a further two made by Polestar, the performance arm of Volvo.
Alongside these pure EVs, Volvo also aims to have a range of both petrol and diesel hybrids, which the company says should give it the broadest electrified range of any car maker right now.
“This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car,” said Mr Samuelsson. “Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1m electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it.” The announcement underlines Volvo Cars’ commitment to minimising its environmental impact and making the cities of the future cleaner. Volvo Cars is focused on reducing the carbon emissions of both its products as well as its operations. It aims to have climate-neutral manufacturing operations by 2025.
Is this actually a good idea?
Volvo’s move to electrification makes a lot of sense, but you can argue with its methods. Many customers still enjoy the feel of an petrol or diesel engine, and aren’t particularly fond of the feeling of regenerative brakes, or the torque characteristics of a hybrid car. When manufacturers offer a huge amount of choice in their range, this isn’t a problem, but if like Volvo they offer only hybrid or electric vehicles – customers could be alienated.
The jury is still out on hybrid vehicles, too. At this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, Rolls-Royce CEO claimed hybrid technology was too much of a “in-between” sort of technology. Although the brands are targeting very different people, it just shows that many car makers realise not everyone is sold on hybrid tech.
I’m hoping that Volvo at least continues to produce petrol-only Polestar cars after 2019. After all, fast Volvos have always had a cult following. What’s more those likely to want a petrol-only will be probably be after the excitement and of a performance-orientated Polestar car, too.
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