Starting in 2019, every new Volvo will incorporate at least one electric motor in the drivetrain, although the news doesn’t spell sudden death for the company’s four-cylinder engines.
President and CEO HÃ¥kan Samuelsson says this “marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car,” which is a grandiose way to introduce his company’s full commitment to hybrids and EVs. Volvo will introduce five all-electric models between 2019 and 2021, two of which will sit under its redefined Polestar brand of high-performance EVs. Everything else will be a plug-in hybrid or a traditional hybrid based on upgraded 48-volt electrical architectures (like that in the 2018 Audi A8). While Volvo remains bullish on its goal for 1 million electrified sales by 2025 and likens the future gas- and diesel-powered hybrids as second fiddle to the full EVs, the automaker can’t afford any decline in traditional powertrains just as it can’t expect a dramatic industry shift to EVs in just four years. Last year, Volvo said plug-in hybrids would account for 10 percent of its annual car sales starting sometime early next decade. We also knew Volvo would launch one EV in 2019 and begin to offer two plug-in hybrids on every model. But with sales growing?almost entirely thanks to the company’s fresh designs and 2.0-liter engines it can easily sell in all global markets?Volvo’s profit depends on massive volumes of its pretty, fossil-fueled machines. Wh...