(CU)_Volvo will be latest carmaker which plans to phase out fossil-fuel engines, as the company said that its entire car line-up will be fully electric by 2030. The Swedish luxury automobile marque said that by 2025, 50 per cent of its global sales will be fully-electric cars, while the other half will be hybrid models.
When inquired about the future demand for electric vehicles, Volvo Chief Executive Håkan Samuelsson said that an electric car is more attractive for customers. “I am totally convinced there will no customers who really want to stay with a petrol engine,” he noted.
Volvo said that it plans to launch a range of new electric cars over the next few years, all of which will be sold online only. Accordingly, customers will be able to select from a range of pre-configured electric Volvos for quick delivery, while they may also order custom-made models via volvocars.com.
According to Samuelsson, following the approach pioneered by Tesla Inc, the Swedish carmaker will also include wireless upgrades and fixes for its new electric models.
Over the recent past, carmakers have been racing to switch to zero-emission models with looming bans on fossil fuel vehicles in some countries. Last month, Jaguar Land Rover said its luxury Jaguar brand will be fully electric by 2025, while Ford Motor Co said its line-up in Europe will be fully electric by 2030.
The move to fully-electric cars is expensive for carmakers since EVs have fewer moving parts, meaning the auto industry is expected to shrink. Last week, Daimler AG’s truck division said going electric will cost thousands of jobs in its powertrain plants in Germany.
