Skip advert
Advertisement

Volvo to go all-electric by 2030 with new small EV planned

Volvo will sell only electric cars by 2030 and push more sales online, away from conventional dealers  

Volvo teaser XC20

Volvo has announced that it will offer only electric cars by 2030 - and that it will push its sales of EVs into online transactions instead of conventional dealerships.

The Swedish brand hit the headlines back in 2017 when it became the first major manufacturer to say it had a plan to no longer sell cars powered by combustion engines. That announcement was made in 2019, and Volvo is now focusing on achieving half of its sales volumes with pure-electric models by 2025.

Advertisement - Article continues below

But in a statement released this morning, Volvo says it now expects to phase out any models containing a combustion engine at all - plug-in hybrids, in effect - by the end of this decade. Volvo says the decision “builds on the expectation that legislation as well as a rapid expansion of accessible high-quality charging infrastructure will accelerate consumer acceptance of fully electric cars”.

Volvo’s plan follows a number of significant brands committing to an all-electric future within the next 10 years. Ford announced last month that it all of its sales in Europe will be electric only by 2030, while the Jaguar nameplate will switch to EVs even earlier, by 2025.

“To remain successful, we need profitable growth,” Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said. “So instead of investing in a shrinking business, we choose to invest in the future - electric and online. We are fully focused on becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric segment.”

Volvo ‘XC20’ on the way

Volvo will reveal its second pure-electric car, a new 40-series model, later today. Samuelsson confirmed to Auto Express last year that it is also working on a smaller EV, potentially to be badged XC20 and based on the new SEA platform developed by Volvo’s owner Geely. A top-down teaser image, released by the company and labelled ”mid-decade electric portfolio” includes a car that’s similar in size to the current XC40, but also a slightly smaller model. It’s the first official glimpse of the baby EV.

The push to all-electric cars will take place solely online, Volvo has also announced - as these zero-emissions models available only through digital sales, alongside the firm’s existing Care by Volvo subscription offering. Volvo’s head of global commercial operations, Lex Kerssemakers, said, “We want to offer our customers peace of mind and a care-free way of having a Volvo, by taking away complexity while getting and driving the car. Simplification and convenience are key to everything we do.”

Volvo says that it will involve its dealers in the push towards online, saying they will “remain a crucial part of the customer experience and continue to be responsible for a variety of important services, such as preparing, delivering and servicing cars”.

Now read our review of the all-electric Volvo XC40 Recharge...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Editor-at-large

John started journalism reporting on motorsport – specifically rallying, which he had followed avidly since he was a boy. After a stint as editor of weekly motorsport bible Autosport, he moved across to testing road cars. He’s now been reviewing cars and writing news stories about them for almost 20 years.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best cars with games tested: the current state of the in-car gaming art
Auto Express editor Paul Barker playing video games in a Tesla

Best cars with games tested: the current state of the in-car gaming art

In-car entertainment has come a long way in recent years...
Features
4 Dec 2024
World of Volvo: the essential museum trip for fans of Sweden’s beloved boxy car brand
Volvo PV445 on display in World of Volvo museum

World of Volvo: the essential museum trip for fans of Sweden’s beloved boxy car brand

We make a trip to Sweden to visit Volvo’s new museum and experience centre in Gothenburg
Features
18 Nov 2024
Volvo won’t implement full self-driving technology until it’s “100 per cent safe”
Volvo EX90 - front tracking

Volvo won’t implement full self-driving technology until it’s “100 per cent safe”

Volvo’s safety expert says FSD needs to have a perfect environment to meet firm’s standards
News
8 Nov 2024
Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2024, 2025 and beyond
Best new cars coming soon - header image

Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2024, 2025 and beyond

These are the biggest and most important new cars headed our way, from brands including Audi, BMW, Dacia, Ferrari, Ford, Skoda and more
Best cars & vans
6 Nov 2024

Most Popular

Cheap electric car finance could be on the cards as government aims to boost sales
Omoda E5 - front tracking

Cheap electric car finance could be on the cards as government aims to boost sales

A newspaper column and whispers suggest that government-backed cheap EV loans could be coming to stimulate market
News
2 Dec 2024
Nissan Qashqai alternatives: cars you could buy instead of Nissan’s big-selling SUV
Nissan Qashqai alternatives - header image

Nissan Qashqai alternatives: cars you could buy instead of Nissan’s big-selling SUV

Nissan’s Qashqai has been a hit since the first generation launched in 2006, but if it’s not quite your cup of tea, we’ve rounded up the best of the r…
Features
1 Dec 2024
I wonder if there are enough buyers for £100k+ luxury Jaguar EVs
Opinion - Jaguar logo

I wonder if there are enough buyers for £100k+ luxury Jaguar EVs

Mike Rutherford gives his view on Jaguar's controversial rebrand
Opinion
1 Dec 2024