Volvo Readies EV Blitz In Biggest Product Revamp Under Geely

Volvo Cars and trucks is gearing up for an electric powered blitz to convert all its mainstay types – three SUVs and two sedans – into electrical cars and to introduce a luxurious electrical van aimed at boosting profits in Asia, two men and women with understanding of the designs claimed.

The Swedish carmaker, 82%-owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, is expected to start at the very least 6 new battery electrical cars by 2026, the two folks explained to Reuters.

Volvo has declared an goal to make its overall lineup fully electrical by 2030. The company’s Australia unit has stated it options to promote only EVs in that market by 2026.

The formerly unreported solution ideas quantity to the major revamp of Volvo’s model line-up since Geely acquired the manufacturer from Ford Motor Co in 2010.

Below Geely, Volvo originally started out to share systems these types of as auto platforms with Geely.

The makeover for Volvo, a Swedish brand that crafted a status for safety and utilitarian structure, follows from a increased concentrate on consumer tendencies in Asia and a drive to earn sales there, the people today mentioned.

The two people with expertise of Volvo’s scheduling requested not to be named mainly because information have not been introduced by the company. Geely declined to remark.

Between the new battery electric powered cars being prepared for the subsequent four many years is a Volvo-branded MPV or van that would be based on a motor vehicle Geely’s Zeekr brand sells in China.

Termed the Zeekr 009, the hulking, battery-electric van, which begins at about 500,000 yuan ($74,179), presents a few rows of seating.

The auto competes against the likes of the Toyota Alphard, a enterprise or household van, with airplane company course-like seats for passengers that has demonstrated well-liked in Asian markets such as China and Japan as a limousine alternative.

Volvo has moved growth perform on sedans and the coming persons-mover model to its Shanghai investigate and development hub, they mentioned. That centre, which has tripled its design staff to about 60 persons, has lately moved to a new and much larger setting up in Shanghai, a single of the resources reported.

The very first of Volvo’s new prepared electric powered styles, the EX90 activity-utility crossover, was unveiled late very last 12 months. It is expected to strike showrooms in early 2024.

Other battery electric automobiles in the pipeline involve electrical versions of Volvo’s mainline solutions – the XC90, XC60 and XC40 crossover autos and the S60 and S90 sedans, the resources explained.

Those mainline vehicles will comply with Volvo’s proven, easy structure cues, but the new MPV will concentrate on purchasers in China and other markets with a much more “emotional” structure that builds from the Zeekr 009, which features a substantial, LED-illuminated grille, a single of the sources stated.

Volvo has carved out and marketed its gasoline engine and hybrid powertrain functions to Geely.

The Chinese carmaker has moved to combine all of its gasoline powertrain belongings, together with people from Volvo, with factories getting carved out of Renault to generate a new business focused on hybrid and gasoline engines.

Renault and Geely are doing work to finalise a offer to convey Saudi Aramco in as an trader and partner in that enterprise, Reuters has noted.