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.
“It’s not a secret anymore that the first full electric Volvo is on its way with the XC40. It will arrive very soon after the Polestar 2. That [XC40] is the first to come that’s not exotic. We’ll start with [the] XC40. The next car will be the next-generation XC90,” explained Ingenlath.
“That will be the masterplan of how electrification will come to the Volvo product range. We will not establish products beside our hybrids, we will introduce electrification as a powertrain variant within the existing portfolio.
“You could say that is different to a lot of the mass-production brands. But I have a hard time understanding how their plan will work in the long run. Electrification is the future of the automotive industry, so how do you handle that as soon as you come to the majority of electric cars? How do you handle it in your portfolio? I think it’s much more natural to say it’s a powertrain variant that over time will take up the majority of the sold vehicles,” he added.
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.
“We definitely don’t want to bring something that we’ve so successfully just launched like the XC40 to an end just because combustion engines will disappear. To look at new formats, new bodystyles and non-traditional elements, we founded Polestar to take care of that end of the scope. We developed that strategy: full electrification of the Volvo range, making it a natural part of the offer, and at the same time developing new, unconventional elements in the Polestar brand,” he said.
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.
GALLERY: Volvo XC40 T5 Twin Engine
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- New Volvo XC40 T5 plug-in hybrid
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- New Volvo XC40 T5 plug-in hybrid
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- New Volvo XC40 T5 plug-in hybrid
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- New Volvo XC40 T5 plug-in hybrid
GALLERY: Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription
GALLERY: Polestar 1
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- Polestar 1 white exterior, rear
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- Polestar 1 white exterior, top
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- Polestar 1 white exterior, front
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- Polestar 1 exterior detail, front wing
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- Polestar 1 interior, dashboard side
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- Polestar 1 interior detail, rear seat
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- Polestar 1 interior detail, tread plate
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- Polestar 1 black exterior, side
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- Polestar 1 black exterior, rear
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- Polestar 1 black exterior, top
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- Polestar 1 carbon body + drivetrain
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- Polestar 1 carbon body
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- Polestar 1 carbon body + drivetrain
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- Polestar 1 black exterior, on location
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- Jonathan Goodman, Chief Operation Officer Polestar
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- Jonathan Goodman, Chief Operation Officer Polestar
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- Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer Polestar
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- Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer Polestar
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- Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer Polestar
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- Polestar Production Centre artist’s impression
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- Polestar Production Centre artist’s impression
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- Polestar Production Centre artist’s impression
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- Polestar Production Centre artist’s impression
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
VolvoCar, Geely, P1, Mesidis, VolvoTruck, Lotus > all
Whole world is moving towards EV except Proton. 10,000 workers sleeping and lembap. Then, 10 yrs down the rod when nobody buys their cars, they say Malaysians are not patriotic.
Exactly
Still want to have a third national car to produce ICE power trains again
Never learn as the world is moving towards EV and Proton too might be moving in that direction too . Do not forget Korea ,China and Japan are pushing very hard and fast into EV now except third national car .
What a joke.
Lembap?
https://paultan.org/2017/09/29/proton-hybrid-phev-and-ev-models-in-the-pipeline/
Be vigilant with the basher bro yawnz. Hes been found to have hijacked others nick, including urs.
yes john, already kalah teruk teruk despite cheating maximum, 30 million Malaysians already rejected your corruption and behaviour
Time to keep PT clean. No more fake news here bro
Must follow Malaysia style of doing things, have many meetings but nothing is done. Where is our Proton hybrid and PHEV?
So many news of launching but actual car don’t have. Typical Malaysian style. Minum teh
Bro Ben, this is why we need Mainland brains to come into Malaysia to help us run our country. Let us hope more Mainland people come inYus
Then why ur Bapak is chasing away Mainland brains? Shud have voted for the one thats bringing in more Mainland brains lor. hahaha!
https://paultan.org/2015/09/10/proton-iriz-ev-300-km-electric-car-on-display-at-igem/
https://paultan.org/2018/05/30/geely-bo-rui-ge-more-details-revealed-next-proton-perdana/
https://paultan.org/2017/09/29/geely-powertrains-will-be-integrated-into-proton-products/
Hahahaha! Meanwhile P2 still waiting for Toyota to donate hybrid engine from their museum to them.
But P2 sales are nearly 4 X more than Proton sales. But you say P1 sales are so good cause that is your type of definition of performance.
So what? Toyota sells more that Mesidis, but nobody except foolish Toyota salespipu like u will say Toyota is better than Mesidis. Geely dun care, so why shud I?
I din define it, u did. Ur words was losing sales and losing market share means working hard and doing gud job wor.
S40 shall sell at RM110k to compete with HRV
Better get
CRV , CX5 , TIGUAN , X1 , Q3,GLA to sell at RM110K to compete with HRV .
This is Tax Holiday Period
Oh by the way, HRV is lower class than the aboves even XC40..
So HRV should sell at RM55k too…
Cx3 is anytime better than xc60
Osaka Boy is a Mad Cow
CX3 is anytime a “Longkang” CUV ( NO premium feel at all) and it is only better than Audi A4.
XC60 is class above, premium feel and bigger in size than your CX3 and CX5 anytime of the day..
CX3 WON ” WORLD LOUSY CAR OF THE YEAR 2018 AWARD” ”’
BUT XC60 WON THE WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR 2018 AWARD ***
xc40 competes with bmw x1 and merc gla. i guess it will be priced above 200k.
A4 and C200 must sell at RM110K to compete with HRV too.
2019, Tg Malim be retooled to build Volvo EVs.
Sorry, Our local not on par the standards to assemble XC40
Sorry, dont forget we do have a local Volvo production plant here in Shah Alam too
Never heard of Volvo Cars Manufacturing Malaysia, Shah Alam Selangor, huh?
Luckily got mix there. That is why got quality. Not like Proton…oh wai
I know u trying hard to bash my comment, but ur not even making any sense. But I cant tell u to think cuz zombies have no brains.
only zombie are the type that 50 years later still want tongkat
Deswai Bapak went to ask for jepunis tongkat?
bapak asked for Jepunis help because your type of species could not see China was overcharging us
Cos you live , think and talk like a jungle boy
Which part of the jungle were you born?
Concrete jungle. Which cave did u crawl out from?
only person who live in a cave is you john. Tak malu ke kalah?
perfectly said Shirley. Jungle boy or caveman.
Kalah? The only kalah here is the economy thanks to ur inept Fin Minister.
So free to reply own dupe ke Albertkunta? Nobody come to ur showroom kah? Hahahaha!
ha ha ha ha, john and his fake dupes. Now upset a good and competent FM has come in. No more dedak like your type
A gud and competent FM dun lose Rm13 Billion in 1 month lor. Hahaha! Ahh, but u did say losing money is means working hard and doing gud job, so maybe ur right that hes “competent”lar. Double hahaha!
very clear future direction for Volvo, just like Mazda.. destined to success
dont forget we do have a Volvo production plant here in Shah Alam too
Hi, is the front windscreen of picture shown in
GALLERY: Volvo XC90 T8 crack?