Volvo’s Electrified Car Plan Isn’t as Bold or Crazy as It Seems, WIRED
Volvo’s Electrical Car Plan Isn’t as Bold or Crazy as It Seems
Volvo’s Electrified Car Plan Isn’t as Bold or Crazy as It Seems
On Tuesday, Volvo took the world on a brief journey to the future. Kicking off in 2019, every fresh model the Swedish automaker releases will run at least in part on electrified power. “We are determined to be the very first premium car maker to budge our entire portfolio of vehicles into electrification,” Volvo chief Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement.
Inbetween two thousand nineteen and 2021, Volvo will roll out five battery electrified models, along with a cavalcade of plug-in hybrids and “mild hybrids,” which supplement internal combustion engines with batteries and motors. The company isn't killing gas yet, but it's on its way.
It's a bold, almost hard to believe pronouncement. For all their hype, electrified cars and hybrids still make up a lil’ percentage of vehicle sales—for good reason. Batteries are expensive and mighty. Vehicles need charging infrastructure. Low gas prices (at least in the US) blunt the “save on fuel” sales pitch. By plunging fully into this space, Volvo emerges equal parts visionary, zealot, and daredevil.
But take a close look and it will become evident that going electrical isn't that risky at all. The international winds of regulation suck toward gas and diesel alternatives. The industry's Next Big Thing—autonomous vehicles—will be battery-powered. Even consumers, especially those at the top of the market—the place where Volvo’s customers like to hang—look to be interested in EVs.
So, in reality, Volvo and its competitors are being shoved into electrical propulsion. The Swedes are just rolling with it—and boasting that they're driving the switch.
No doubt it's good news for the planet. It also happens to be an excellent marketing strategy and a clever gambit to secure the company’s rep for decades to come. “There’s a big branding benefit to being very first,” says Costa Samaras, who studies alternative energy at Carnegie Mellon University. “By announcing the end of the internal combustion engine, Volvo can plant a flag and hopefully attract some investment and talent.”
To understand this stir in context, let's take a brief excursion overseas. Europe once depended on cleaner diesel engines to bring down CO2 emissions. But after Volkswagen got caught in two thousand fifteen cheating pollution standards , customers and regulators are more wary of the fuel. Diesel sales are down twenty percent in France and Belgium, and forty five percent in Norway, compared to two thousand eleven figures. Big cities like Athens, Paris, and Madrid have announced they will ban diesel cars by two thousand twenty five . France just said it aims to stop sales of diesel and gas vehicles by 2040. And the European Union will implement fresh and aggressive CO two emissions thresholds in 2020.
Meantime, in China, drivers purchase half the world’s electrical vehicles, and EVs must make up twelve percent of each manufacturer's sales by two thousand twenty . The country will likely get even more aggressive about electrified and hybrid production this year. (Volvo, once wielded by Ford, was acquired by Hangzhou-based Geely in 2010.)
These market shifts are why other carmakers are making moves similar to Volvo's. More than thirty fully electrical vehicles are available on the international market, including models from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and, yes, Tesla. There are dozens of plug-in hybrid models on dealer lots. Even large American automakers have their hybrids and electrics, including a Ford police car and Chevy's $30,000 Bolt EV .
But these are massive companies that operate on long timelines. It takes five to seven years to develop a fresh car. And for all the electrical fanfare, Volvo will keep selling cars with plain old gas-burning engines for years. All fresh models will come only as hybrids or total electrics, but existing models will only make the switch when they're due for a total revamp (or they'll never go electrified and get retired). Volvo R&D chief Henrik Green says that rollover will likely take five to seven years, embarking in 2019, but wouldn't set a hard timeline. So expect the company to sell gas- and diesel-powered steeds until at least 2024.
Volvo’s Electrified Car Plan Isn’t as Bold or Crazy as It Seems, WIRED
Volvo’s Electrified Car Plan Isn’t as Bold or Crazy as It Seems
Volvo’s Electrified Car Plan Isn’t as Bold or Crazy as It Seems
On Tuesday, Volvo took the world on a brief journey to the future. Embarking in 2019, every fresh model the Swedish automaker releases will run at least in part on electrified power. “We are determined to be the very first premium car maker to budge our entire portfolio of vehicles into electrification,” Volvo chief Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement.
Inbetween two thousand nineteen and 2021, Volvo will roll out five battery electrified models, along with a cavalcade of plug-in hybrids and “mild hybrids,” which supplement internal combustion engines with batteries and motors. The company isn't killing gas yet, but it's on its way.
It's a bold, almost hard to believe pronouncement. For all their hype, electrical cars and hybrids still make up a little percentage of vehicle sales—for good reason. Batteries are expensive and strong. Vehicles need charging infrastructure. Low gas prices (at least in the US) blunt the “save on fuel” sales pitch. By plunging fully into this space, Volvo emerges equal parts visionary, zealot, and daredevil.
But take a close look and it will become evident that going electrical isn't that risky at all. The international winds of regulation deep-throat toward gas and diesel alternatives. The industry's Next Big Thing—autonomous vehicles—will be battery-powered. Even consumers, especially those at the top of the market—the place where Volvo’s customers like to hang—look to be interested in EVs.
So, in reality, Volvo and its competitors are being shoved into electrified propulsion. The Swedes are just rolling with it—and boasting that they're driving the switch.
No doubt it's good news for the planet. It also happens to be an excellent marketing strategy and a brainy gambit to secure the company’s rep for decades to come. “There’s a big branding benefit to being very first,” says Costa Samaras, who studies alternative energy at Carnegie Mellon University. “By announcing the end of the internal combustion engine, Volvo can plant a flag and hopefully attract some investment and talent.”
To understand this budge in context, let's take a brief journey overseas. Europe once depended on cleaner diesel engines to bring down CO2 emissions. But after Volkswagen got caught in two thousand fifteen cheating pollution standards , customers and regulators are more wary of the fuel. Diesel sales are down twenty percent in France and Belgium, and forty five percent in Norway, compared to two thousand eleven figures. Big cities like Athens, Paris, and Madrid have announced they will ban diesel cars by two thousand twenty five . France just said it aims to stop sales of diesel and gas vehicles by 2040. And the European Union will implement fresh and aggressive CO two emissions boundaries in 2020.
Meantime, in China, drivers purchase half the world’s electrical vehicles, and EVs must make up twelve percent of each manufacturer's sales by two thousand twenty . The country will likely get even more aggressive about electrified and hybrid production this year. (Volvo, once wielded by Ford, was acquired by Hangzhou-based Geely in 2010.)
These market shifts are why other carmakers are making moves similar to Volvo's. More than thirty fully electrified vehicles are available on the international market, including models from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and, yes, Tesla. There are dozens of plug-in hybrid models on dealer lots. Even large American automakers have their hybrids and electrics, including a Ford police car and Chevy's $30,000 Bolt EV .
But these are massive companies that operate on long timelines. It takes five to seven years to develop a fresh car. And for all the electrified fanfare, Volvo will keep selling cars with plain old gas-burning engines for years. All fresh models will come only as hybrids or total electrics, but existing models will only make the switch when they're due for a utter revamp (or they'll never go electrified and get retired). Volvo R&D chief Henrik Green says that rollover will likely take five to seven years, commencing in 2019, but wouldn't set a hard timeline. So expect the company to sell gas- and diesel-powered steeds until at least 2024.
Volvo’s Electrical Car Plan Isn’t as Bold or Crazy as It Seems, WIRED
Volvo’s Electrified Car Plan Isn’t as Bold or Crazy as It Seems
Volvo’s Electrified Car Plan Isn’t as Bold or Crazy as It Seems
On Tuesday, Volvo took the world on a brief journey to the future. Kicking off in 2019, every fresh model the Swedish automaker releases will run at least in part on electrical power. “We are determined to be the very first premium car maker to stir our entire portfolio of vehicles into electrification,” Volvo chief Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement.
Inbetween two thousand nineteen and 2021, Volvo will roll out five battery electrical models, along with a cavalcade of plug-in hybrids and “mild hybrids,” which supplement internal combustion engines with batteries and motors. The company isn't killing gas yet, but it's on its way.
It's a bold, almost hard to believe pronouncement. For all their hype, electrified cars and hybrids still make up a lil’ percentage of vehicle sales—for good reason. Batteries are expensive and strong. Vehicles need charging infrastructure. Low gas prices (at least in the US) blunt the “save on fuel” sales pitch. By plunging fully into this space, Volvo shows up equal parts visionary, zealot, and daredevil.
But take a close look and it will become evident that going electrified isn't that risky at all. The international winds of regulation deepthroat toward gas and diesel alternatives. The industry's Next Big Thing—autonomous vehicles—will be battery-powered. Even consumers, especially those at the top of the market—the place where Volvo’s customers like to hang—look to be interested in EVs.
So, in reality, Volvo and its competitors are being shoved into electrical propulsion. The Swedes are just rolling with it—and boasting that they're driving the switch.
No doubt it's good news for the planet. It also happens to be an excellent marketing strategy and a brainy gambit to secure the company’s rep for decades to come. “There’s a big branding benefit to being very first,” says Costa Samaras, who studies alternative energy at Carnegie Mellon University. “By announcing the end of the internal combustion engine, Volvo can plant a flag and hopefully attract some investment and talent.”
To understand this stir in context, let's take a brief journey overseas. Europe once depended on cleaner diesel engines to bring down CO2 emissions. But after Volkswagen got caught in two thousand fifteen cheating pollution standards , customers and regulators are more wary of the fuel. Diesel sales are down twenty percent in France and Belgium, and forty five percent in Norway, compared to two thousand eleven figures. Big cities like Athens, Paris, and Madrid have announced they will ban diesel cars by two thousand twenty five . France just said it aims to stop sales of diesel and gas vehicles by 2040. And the European Union will implement fresh and aggressive CO two emissions boundaries in 2020.
Meantime, in China, drivers purchase half the world’s electrified vehicles, and EVs must make up twelve percent of each manufacturer's sales by two thousand twenty . The country will likely get even more aggressive about electrical and hybrid production this year. (Volvo, once wielded by Ford, was acquired by Hangzhou-based Geely in 2010.)
These market shifts are why other carmakers are making moves similar to Volvo's. More than thirty fully electrified vehicles are available on the international market, including models from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and, yes, Tesla. There are dozens of plug-in hybrid models on dealer lots. Even large American automakers have their hybrids and electrics, including a Ford police car and Chevy's $30,000 Bolt EV .
But these are massive companies that operate on long timelines. It takes five to seven years to develop a fresh car. And for all the electrical fanfare, Volvo will keep selling cars with plain old gas-burning engines for years. All fresh models will come only as hybrids or utter electrics, but existing models will only make the switch when they're due for a total revamp (or they'll never go electrified and get retired). Volvo R&D chief Henrik Green says that rollover will likely take five to seven years, beginning in 2019, but wouldn't set a hard timeline. So expect the company to sell gas- and diesel-powered steeds until at least 2024.