
Volvo initiates separation from combustion engine
While the additional equipment with an electric motor is to begin in 2019, it will probably take many years before the internal combustion engine will be phased out. Volvo has no timeline to end the production of such cars, a company spokesperson explained. Instead, from 2019 onwards, every Volvo passenger car will have a hybrid or full electric powertrain – including mild hybrid and plug-in hybrids.
The company’s focus for all-electric vehicles is on the battery-electric – despite concerns among insiders that the production of lithium-ion batteries is extremely harmful to the environment and today’s electricity networks are not able to bear the burden of a large conversion to BEVs. Volvo has no plans to develop fuel cell drives as an alternative to BEVs, the spokesperson said.
Volvo will launch five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021, three of which will be Volvo models and two of which will be high performance electrified cars from Polestar, Volvo Cars’ performance car arm. Full details of these models will be announced at a later date.
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