Volvo announces global electrification plans alongside new platform

16/10/2015 13:05 Share

Volvo Cars has announced an extensive electrification strategy, with plug-in hybrids to be introduced across its entire range. It will develop a host of new, electric small cars, whilst planning to offer a fully electric vehicle by 2019.

The brand expects these small electric machines to command up to 10 per cent of total car sales in the medium term.

Volvo is planning on introducing plug-in hybrid versions of its larger cars the 90 series and 60 series. They will base themselves on its new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). The first example of this process is the T8 Twin Engine hybrid of the new XC90 SUV, and will be continued with a plug-in variant of the forthcoming S90.

This extension of Volvo's range will be complimented by the introduction of a brand new range of smaller 40 series vehicles, using the company's Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) as a base. Alike to SPA, this architecture was designed first and foremost with electric cars in mind.

CPA allows Volvo to sell compact cars with a similar quality of engineering to larger, SPA-built machines. Technology such as power-trains, infotainment and safety systems will be shared between the two architectures. The first vehicle to be based on CMA is planned to be launched in 2017.

Furthermore, Volvo Cars has provided conformation that it will design and build a fully electric car by 2019, although further information will be released at a later date.

Hakan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars, said: 'We believe that the time has come for electrified cars to cease being a niche technology and enter the mainstream. We are confident that in two years' time, 10 per cent of Volvo's global sales will be electrified cars.'