VOLVO DEATH KNELL FOR PETROL CARS
Swedish giant announces it will fit an electric motor to new models from 2019
THE death of the traditional car rolled closer yesterday after Volvo announced it was going electric.
The Swedish firm known for its chunky diesel estates said no model brought in after next year would rely solely on an internal combustion engine.
Instead the cars will be fully electric or hybrid, combining electric and conventional engines.
The RAC Foundation suggested it could be ‘the spark which turns modern motors electric’.
Figures out yesterday showed a 15 per cent drop in UK sales of diesels following dire warnings about air pollution deaths and costly levies.
The data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders also revealed a surge in sales of electric and hybrid models.
Volvo, which is owned by China’s Geely, said it will launch five electric cars by 2021. It has yet to build any at its factories in Sweden, Belgium, China and the US but does make four hybrid models.
It will continue to produce its current models with petrol or diesel engines after the 2019 cut-off.
Volvo chief Hakan Samuelsson
said his firm’s move marked the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car.
He said the announcement underlined the manufacturer’s commitment to minimising its environmental impact and making cities cleaner. The decision will increase pressure on the Government to ramp up investment in charging points.
MPs fear the national grid will be unable to cope if millions of drivers switch to electric cars.
Mr Samuelsson acknowledged the need for more charging points but added: ‘We have a very flexible concept. The infrastructure for charging is a limitation but we have this twin engine which is much more suitable.
‘If you have a garage of your own you can charge it overnight. I think it’s a car for the UK.’
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: ‘Millions of drivers will wonder if this is the spark that turns the modern motor car electric.
‘There are some huge, global auto companies that are still invested in making the internal combustion engine as clean as it can be, and with long product lead times things won’t go ultra-green overnight.’
He said the decision recalled Vol-
‘Plummeting in value’
vo’s pioneering introduction of the three-point seatbelt in 1959.
Tesla announced this week that the first of its mass-market Model 3 electric cars will roll off the production line tomorrow. With a price tag of around £27,000, they will be the most affordable to date from the US firm.
British motorists may have to wait until next year for right-hand drive versions to appear.
There are just 11,000 public charging points across the UK and only 800 of them offer fast charging. This generally rules out longer journeys in electric-only cars.
The Government is introducing legislation requiring all petrol stations and motorway services to install electric charge points.
It has previously announced a £35million fund for charge points on streets and in workplaces.
Charlie Elphicke, Tory MP for Dover and Deal, said: ‘The decision by Volvo is a watershed moment and underlines the urgent need to be ready and prepared for an electric future.
‘But to make that happen we need to make sure we have the fast charging points and infrastructure to make these cars practical for families travelling up and down the land.’
The SMMT said sales of diesel cars fell 14.7 per cent from 121,399 in June last year to 103,564 last month. Purchases of petrol cars rose by 2.5 per cent to 129,169. Sales of electrics and hybrids jumped 29 per cent to 10,721. Motorists appear to be worried that town halls will copy London mayor Sadiq Khan in imposing tough levies on diesel drivers.
Motoring groups complain that drivers who were encouraged to buy diesel cars with tax incentives introduced by Tony Blair’s government are now being unfairly singled out.
Councils have been told to focus on cutting nitrogen oxide emissions while campaigners have taken the Government to court over the issue.
Ministers are also considering higher road tax for diesel drivers.
Diesel cars had been favoured because they are more fuel efficient, producing less carbon dioxide than petrol engines.
Howard Cox, founder of the FairFuelUK campaign, said: ‘Our supporters remain intensely angry – their expensive diesel vehicles will continue to plummet in value with their cost of motoring soaring.’
Making its announcement yesterday, Volvo outlined plans to sell one million electric vehicles globally by 2025. It sold 534,332 cars last year, almost 47,000 in the UK.