LONDON, March 2 (Reuters) – Volvo’s full range of vehicles will be fully electric by 2030, the Chinese company said on Tuesday, joining a growing number of vehicle manufacturers planning to eliminate fuel engines fossil at the end of this decade. .
“I am fully convinced that there will be no customers who really want to keep a petrol engine,” said Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo’s chief executive, when asked about the future demand for electric vehicles. “We are convinced that an electric car is more attractive to customers.”
The Swedish vehicle maker said 50% of its global sales should be all-electric vehicles by 2025 and the rest hybrid models.
Owned by Hangzhou-based Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Volvo said it will launch a new family of electric cars in the coming years, which will only be sold online. Volvo will unveil its second all-electric model, the C40, on Tuesday.
Samuelsson said Volvo will include wireless upgrades and solutions for its new electric models, an approach initiated by electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc.
Race manufacturers debut to switch to zero-emission models as they face targets for CO2 emissions in Europe and China, in addition to the ban approaching in some countries on fuel vehicles fossil.
Last month, Ford Motor Co. said its lineup in Europe will be fully electric by 2030, while Tata Motors ’unit, Jaguar Land Rover, said its luxury Jaguar brand will be fully electric by 2025 and the manufacturer of vehicles will launch electric models of its entire line. until 2030.
And last November, luxury vehicle maker Bentley, owned by German Volkswagen, said its models will all be electric by 2030.
Electrification is expensive for vehicle manufacturers and, as electric vehicles have fewer moving parts, employment in the automotive industry is expected to be reduced.
Last week, the head of Daimler AG’s DE> truck division said going to electricity will cost thousands of jobs at the company’s powertrain plants in Germany.
Volvo said it will invest heavily in online sales channels to “radically reduce” the complexity of its model range and offer customers transparent pricing.
The manufacturer’s global network of 2,400 traditional brick and mortar dealers will remain open to service vehicles and help customers place orders online.
Through volvocars.com, customers will be able to choose from a simplified range of Volvo electric preconfigured for fast delivery, but will be able to order custom models. (Report by Nick Carey; edited by Barbara Lewis)