Volvo reveals plan to electrify every new model

Volvo has announced that every model it launches from 2019 will come with some form of electrification.

The premium car manufacturer says that new cars will either be fully electric, a plug-in hybrid or a mild hybrid. Between 2019 and 2021, five fully electric cars will be released by Volvo, with two of those falling under the company’s standalone performance brand Polestar.

Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars, said: “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 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.”

The move doesn’t mean that it’ll be impossible to buy a Volvo without electrification after 2019, though – existing models will continue to be offered until they’re naturally phased out.

It also doesn’t mean that all new Volvos will be able to drive around on electric propulsion alone. A mild hybrid uses an electric motor that takes over the general running of the car while stopped, braking or coasting so the engine can be turned off to save fuel. It also means the engine is primed to be turned back on when needed.

However, the announcement is an important step for electric vehicles as more and more manufacturers invest in the technology. Earlier this year, Volkswagen said it anticipated being the world leader for electric cars by 2025 as it switched its focus to green technology in the wake of the 2015 diesel emissions scandal.