Volvo News: Volvo Plans To Electrify All of Their Models Beginning In 2019

[William Maley]

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Volvo made a stunning announcement this morning as it plans to equip all of their vehicles with an electric motor beginning in 2019. 

“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 1 million electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it,” said Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson in a statement.

Volvo is planning to launch five EVs between 2019 and 2021 - two of those coming from Polestar . They'll be complemented by a range of mild-hybrid with 48-volt electric systems and plug-in hybrid models.

“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,” said Samuelsson.

Source: Volvo 
Press Release is on Page 2

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Volvo Cars to go all electric

Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has announced that every Volvo it launches from 2019 will have an electric motor, marking the historic end of cars that only have an internal combustion engine (ICE) and placing electrification at the core of its future business.
 
The announcement represents one of the most significant moves by any car maker to embrace electrification and highlights how over a century after the invention of the internal combustion engine electrification is paving the way for a new chapter in automotive history.
 
“This is about the customer,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. “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.”
 
Volvo Cars will introduce a portfolio of electrified cars across its model range, embracing fully electric cars, plug in hybrid cars and mild hybrid cars.
 
It will launch five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021, three of which will be Volvo models and two of which will be high performance electrified cars from Polestar, Volvo Cars’ performance car arm. Full details of these models will be announced at a later date.

These five cars will be supplemented by a range of petrol and diesel plug in hybrid and mild hybrid 48 volt options on all models, representing one of the broadest electrified car offerings of any car maker.
 
This means that there will in future be no Volvo cars without an electric motor, as pure ICE cars are gradually phased out and replaced by ICE cars that are enhanced with electrified options.
 
“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.
 
The decision also follows this month’s announcement that Volvo Cars will turn Polestar into a new separately-branded electrified global high performance car company. Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Cars, will lead Polestar as Chief Executive Officer.

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[G. David Felt]

I totally understand and get this, the age of Hybrid is upon us and soon ev only in the long term. Enjoy the last golden age of ICE auto's.

[A Horse With No Name]

20 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I totally understand and get this, the age of Hybrid is upon us and soon ev only in the long term. Enjoy the last golden age of ICE auto's.

Could not agree more!

[smk4565]

The EU car companies are running away from ICE like it is the plague and toward EV's like it is the second coming.  But i am all for it.  Bring on the future.

[riviera74]

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

The EU car companies are running away from ICE like it is the plague and toward EV's like it is the second coming.  But i am all for it.  Bring on the future.

Given what happened to VW and the diesel problems, you cannot blame them for marching straight to EVs.

[Drew Dowdell]

Electrification done right can be better than diesel because you can have all the torque and yet still run in EV only mode part of the time producing no emissions at all.  Since Volvo has gone all 4-cylinder, adding electrification can be another boost to power also. 

[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, smk4565 said:

The EU car companies are running away from ICE like it is the plague and toward EV's like it is the second coming.  But i am all for it.  Bring on the future.

 

16 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

Given what happened to VW and the diesel problems, you cannot blame them for marching straight to EVs.

Plus China's push is helping this move. Potus 45 attitude of bringing back the golden age of the 50's with Petro is very dated thinking.

1 minute ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Electrification done right can be better than diesel because you can have all the torque and yet still run in EV only mode part of the time producing no emissions at all.  Since Volvo has gone all 4-cylinder, adding electrification can be another boost to power also. 

Totally agree here. I do wonder if they are building their own 48 volt system or using Daimlers?

[Drew Dowdell]

7 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Totally agree here. I do wonder if they are building their own 48 volt system or using Daimlers?

3rd party supplier most likely.  When you see multiple manufacturers come out with the exact same tech at the exact same time, someone like Continental, Bosch, Delphi, or ZF (9-speed FWD autos in Acura, Land Rover, Jeep, and Chrysler anyone?) is behind it. 

[Cremazie]

You wont see me march toward hybrid or full EV until the adoption rate is over 50%.. still a lot a variables to be ironed out!

[Drew Dowdell]

11 minutes ago, Cremazie said:

You wont see me march toward hybrid or full EV until the adoption rate is over 50%.. still a lot a variables to be ironed out!

We're a 3 car family... I could totally see something like the Volt being added to our fleet someday.... if it were larger.  I still need to write up the Bolt EV I drove.... great little scamp of a car.

[oldshurst442]

51 minutes ago, Cremazie said:

You wont see me march toward hybrid or full EV until the adoption rate is over 50%.. still a lot a variables to be ironed out!

Alberta has tons of oil, no need to pressure ourselves with this EV stuff...

On the other hand, Quebec has got plenty of electric fields waiting to be tapped...so my next ride will probably be  100% electric powered.

You guessed it, Im from Montreal.

Howdy Stranger! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2017 by oldshurst442

[A Horse With No Name]

4 hours ago, smk4565 said:

The EU car companies are running away from ICE like it is the plague and toward EV's like it is the second coming.  But i am all for it.  Bring on the future.

Could not agree more!

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

We're a 3 car family... I could totally see something like the Volt being added to our fleet someday.... if it were larger.  I still need to write up the Bolt EV I drove.... great little scamp of a car.

I could totally see an EV in our family.

it would make infinite sense.

[smk4565]

We aren't all that far away from the day when an electric car costs less than the gasoline car, and then gas cars are finished.

[A Horse With No Name]

2 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

We aren't all that far away from the day when an electric car costs less than the gasoline car, and then gas cars are finished.

Give it fifteen good years I think..

[Drew Dowdell]

10 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

We aren't all that far away from the day when an electric car costs less than the gasoline car, and then gas cars are finished.

There is one other factor that you're ignoring. We still don't have the charging infrastructure too support that volume of cars and we're not investing in it anywhere near fast enough.

[G. David Felt]

6 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

There is one other factor that you're ignoring. We still don't have the charging infrastructure too support that volume of cars and we're not investing in it anywhere near fast enough.

Except the west coast which is charging full speed ahead with required EV chargers in all new homes built, all apartments built and existing have to be retrofitted with them or added while building. Public chargers are everywhere now. Every major freeway / highway system has them even at rest stops.

Clearly some parts of North America will be ready far faster than others.

[Drew Dowdell]

Requiring EV chargers or just the electric lines run so you could put a charger in. Big difference.

[smk4565]

2 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

There is one other factor that you're ignoring. We still don't have the charging infrastructure too support that volume of cars and we're not investing in it anywhere near fast enough.

Charge at home.  Problem solved.  I can see battery tech offering 400-500 mile range in the 2020s, that is a solid 8 hours of non stop driving, and people just don't drive that much in a day.

When gasoline sales drop to 1950s level what are all those gas stations going to do?  Sheetz will be okay because they make their money on food anyway.  But the rest better start selling electricity refills or they'll be out of business.

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Requiring EV chargers or just the electric lines run so you could put a charger in. Big difference.

True, Washington state has actually required PSE the state power supply and natural gas supplier to put in the actual 220V chargers. Course the state brags about how many chargers are being installed but we know it is only a fraction of the actual EV's being sold at this time. Course prepped for the future as the state marketing goes. LOL  

2 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Charge at home.  Problem solved.  I can see battery tech offering 400-500 mile range in the 2020s, that is a solid 8 hours of non stop driving, and people just don't drive that much in a day.

When gasoline sales drop to 1950s level what are all those gas stations going to do?  Sheetz will be okay because they make their money on food anyway.  But the rest better start selling electricity refills or they'll be out of business.

Washington state is incentivizing the gas stations to install rapid chargers. A few are already being done, but be interesting to see how fast they do it.

[A Horse With No Name]

I am adding more circuits toy garage and am leaving space for 220 for a charger.  I definitely see an electric car in my future.

[ocnblu]

 

[Drew Dowdell]

33 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Charge at home.  Problem solved.  I can see battery tech offering 400-500 mile range in the 2020s, that is a solid 8 hours of non stop driving, and people just don't drive that much in a day.

When gasoline sales drop to 1950s level what are all those gas stations going to do?  Sheetz will be okay because they make their money on food anyway.  But the rest better start selling electricity refills or they'll be out of business.

I think Sheetz has just a couple stations with chargers in them.  I know New Stanton on the PA Turnpike has a charger, but it's a slower Level II charger, nothing high speed.  The weird part is the TPK installed them at the ends of the turnpike but nothing in the distance between New Stanton and Bowmansville outside of Philly...  They need some at Blue Mt, Sideling Hill, and Midway, etc... place in between the big cities.  (For those of you who don't know the PA Turnpike, these are service station names.)

If I'm leaving Pittsburgh, I don't need to stop 45 minutes later in New Stanton to charge... I probably need to stop at Sideling Hill to pee though, so that would be a good spot for a charger.

[smk4565]

Sheetz is a good place for EV charge stations, because they want people hanging out there eating anyway.   I imagine a lot of people spend a half hour or so in there getting their MTO sandwich and 32 ounce sodas.

[Drew Dowdell]

1 minute ago, smk4565 said:

Sheetz is a good place for EV charge stations, because they want people hanging out there eating anyway.   I imagine a lot of people spend a half hour or so in there getting their MTO sandwich and 32 ounce sodas.

Because the MTO counter is always so slooooooowww.....  full service sit down at Rey Azteca is faster!  How long can it really take to microwave a hamburger?

I bet a Chevy Bolt EV could charge from not to half full by the time they make my cheese curds. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Electric cars combined with electric trains would be a fantastic combination.

Would also like to own a bolt.

[riviera74]

Think of why any carmaker would switch to electric vehicles: fewer parts and a reduced need to service said parts.  There would be no ICE to repair or cool, no transmission to maintain or fix at all, no gas tank or transmission fluid or motor oil or coolant.  In theory, an electric vehicle, once current battery limitations and range are overcome or scrapped, the need for crude oil will be so dramatically reduced that both oil majors and OPEC itself will be in serious dire straits.  Tesla may have done the rest of the industry a favor by roadworthy electric cars not only possible but actually viable.  Car dealers will have a few issues adjusting, given that a significant portion of their revenue and profits come from maintenance and repair of current vehicles.  But for the car-buying public, electric vehicles may well be the biggest development in this industry since at least the model T.

I can't wait for this revolution to actually come to fruition and see that electric has displaced ICE and we get closer to true energy independence.