Volvo bids farewell to diesels
VOLVO is the latest car company to begin the process of ditching diesels, starting with its new family saloon range, the S60.
It follows the announcement by major manufacturer Toyota that it is to phase out all diesel engines throughout its vast range by the end of this year.
It means that the writing is now on the wall for the future of the diesel engine, to be replaced initially by petrol-hybrids and subsequently electric vehicles.
Toyota says that last year its ranges of hybrids accounted for almost half of all sales, and diesels being chosen by less than ten per cent of buyers, with petrol-only models making up the rest.
The switch to petrol-hybrids was an increase of 38%, accounting for total sales of more than 400,000 Toyota cars in Europe.
Volvo says that its new S60 saloon will be the first Volvo to be produced without a diesel engine.
The company says: “This highlights Volvo’s commitment to a long-term future beyond the traditional combustion engine.
“All new Volvo models introduced from 2019 will be available as either a mild petrol hybrid, plug-in petrol hybrid or battery electric vehicle.
“This is the most comprehensive electrification strategy in the car industry. Volvo was the first traditional car maker to commit to allout electrification in July 2017.’’
Volvo boss Hakan Samuelsson, says emphatically: “Our future is electric and we will no longer develop a new generation of diesel engines. We will phase out cars with only an internal combustion engine, with petrol hybrid versions as a transitional option as we move towards full electrification. The new S60 represents the next step in that commitment.”
The announcement is expected to have a dramatic impact on the residual value of diesel and petrolonly models, with bargains to be bagged on the second-hand market.
The Swedish car company says that fully electric cars will make up half its total sales by 2025. This announcement was made at the recent Beijing Auto Show, with China being the world’s leading market for electric cars.
The new American-built S60 will initially be available with a range of four-cylinder petrol engines plus two petrol plug-in hybrid versions, with the mild-hybrid versions following next year.
The new British-built Toyota Auris will be offered with a choice of three engines, including one petrol and two hybrids, but no diesel.