Volvo to Give up Diesel Engines

By 2025, half of Volvo cars will be electric as Volvo phases out its diesel engines, the company announced.

The Sedan S60 third generation, which will be presented in the coming weeks, will not be powered by "heavy fuel" engines: only gasoline and hybrid petrol-electric power will be offered, while 2019 promises a "soft hybrid".

The head of the company, Hakan Samuelsson, has already said that Volvo is refusing to develop new diesel engines as bringing such engines to meet the modern standards of carbon dioxide emissions is too expensive.

The decision to remove diesel engines from the S60 line is, as Samuelsson says, “the next step on the way to an electric future.”

“Next will be the abandonment of gasoline, and then hybrid power,” he adds. “That despite both diesel and gasoline engines of the Drive-E family having appeared recently.”

Still “modern,” they were developed from scratch specifically for the "new wave" models on CMA and SPA platforms. Volvo has been equipped with them since 2014.

Samuelsson recognises that Tesla is the driving force behind the decision to focus on EVs (Electric Vehicles). “We have to recognize that Tesla has managed to offer the kind of car people are lining up for. In this area, there should also be space for us, with a high quality and attractive design,” he said.

By Dimitri Dolaberidze