VOLVO PLUGS IN

Swedish automaker Volvo is ditching gas-only cars. Starting in 2019, it will make only electric and hybrid vehicles, becoming the first major automaker to abandon cars and SUVs powered solely by the internal combustion engine.

The announcement comes as the global auto industry moves toward electric-powered vehicles, after more than a century of using engines that burn only fossil fuels.

Even though sales are a fraction of those for conventional autos, manufacturers are obliged to sell them to meet mandatory fuel economy and emissions targets. Electric vehicles are seeing increased demand in some markets.

Still, the transition to fully electric vehicles will take years. Although Tesla has announced

a $35,000 electric car for the masses and General Motors is selling the all-electric Chevy Bolt for a similar price, less-expensive hybrids are likely to garner higher sales in the short run.

Other automakers are expected to follow Volvo’s lead in a few years, said Sam Abuelsamid, senior analyst for Navigant Research, with luxury automakers leading the way.

“I think we’ll probably see most of the premium brands do the same thing in roughly the same time frame,” he said. “More high-volume mainstream brands will be a little slower.”

Sweden’s Volvo, which is owned by Chinese firm Geely, will launch five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021. Three of them will be Volvo models and two will be electrified cars from Polestar, Volvo Cars’ performance car arm.