Volvo’s electrification aspirations will soon reach
another level. According to Autocar, company design chief Thomas Ingenlath has
confirmed that Volvo’s first fully electric car will be a version of the XC40,
and it will be introduced next year following the launch of the Polestar 2.
Ingenlath, when speaking at the reveal of the
all-new S60, said the company would only produce electric versions of its
current cars, rather than making entirely new EVs, citing the Volkswagen ID
range as an example. After launching the XC40 EV in 2019, Volvo will introduce
the new XC90 EV in 2021, the latter set to be produced at Volvo’s new factory
in Charleston, South Carolina.
The XC40 and XC90 EVs will utilise lithium ion
battery power, just like the Polestar 1 and 2. The former will be offered
alongside the XC40 T5 Twin Engine (plug-in hybrid). By 2025, Volvo aims to have
50% of its sales volume contributed by fully electric models.
While Volvo continues to expand its electrification
portfolio by introducing additional variants of its current line-up, Ingenlath
said Polestar, a company which he also heads, could be used to develop bolder
EVs.
Volvo, now fully owned by Chinese giant Geely, will
launch an electrified version of every model in its line-up from 2019. Every
Volvo will eventually be offered with a mild hybrid, hybrid or battery-electric
powertrain option. With the launch of the S60, the Swedish carmaker has also ceased
to offer diesel variants.
