Volvo Expects to Introduce Full Electric Model by 2019, Will Expand Hybrid Offerings

With the world quickly adopting hybrid and electric drivetrains, Volvo has announced that they will be introducing plug-in hybrids across its entire range, and will deliver their first fully electric car for commercial sale by 2019. 

As part of this new strategy, Volvo says that they expect electrified vehicles to account for up to 10 per cent of total car sales in the medium term. Currently Volvo has one plug-in hybrid model in the form of their XC90 T8 Twin Engine All-wheel Drive plug-in hybrid.

More plug-in hybrid variants will follow for the company’s 90-series and 60-series model range, which is built on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). The next plug-in hybrid variant we can expect to see from Volvo will be in the upcoming S90 sedan range. This strategy will be expanded further with Volvo’s new Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), which will underpin Volvo’s new range of smaller 40-series cars, and has been designed from the outset for electrification.

Volvo will be broadening its plug-in hybrid range with a front-wheel drive version of their Twin Engine plug-in hybrids. The plug-in hybrid system on the XC90 T8 Twin Engine features a front-wheel drive engine setup coupled to an electric motor mounted to the rear axle, hence its all-wheel drive designation. Turning it into a compact front-wheel drive configuration would be interesting to see.

Currently Volvo believes that plug-in hybrids offer customers the best combination of efficiency, range, and convenience. According to Volvo’s electrification strategy the commercial availability of their own all-electric car will only happen by 2019, the details of which will only be revealed at a later date.