Volvo turns up the voltage

Volvo is drawing a line in the sand on the internal combustion engine – it plans to be a fully electric car company by 2030. Even more impressive is that by 2025, the company is aiming for 50 % of its sales to be that of electric vehicles, while the other half will be hybrid models.

This is part of the brand’s climate plan, in which the goal is to reduce the carbon footprint per vehicle. Volvo’s CEO Håkan Samuelsson says this is a necessary step as to remain successful, they need profitable growth. “We are fully focused on becoming a leader in the fastgrowing premium electric segment,” he says.

After the release of the XC40 Recharge last year, Volvo also unveiled its latest hybrid, the C40. Designed to be an fully electric vehicle, the C40 is also the first Volvo to be leather free. Powered by a 78 kWh battery that Volvo claims can be fast charged to 80 % in around 40 minutes, it will have a range of 420 km.