Swedish automaker Volvo has produced its final diesel-powered passenger vehicle, part of its promise to become an all-electric brand in early 2024. According to Motor1, the last XC90 SUV will be headed to a museum to preserve the brand’s major transition to electric vehicles.
Volvo delivers its electric promise
Volvo finally built its last diesel-powered model, the XC90 SUV, at its assembly line in Torslanda, Sweden.
However, instead of delivering the XC90 SUV to customers, the model will go to the World of Volvo museum in Gothenburg, Sweden, for posterity. It marks the Swedish automaker’s conclusion of its 45-year relationship with diesel engines.
The last XC90 SUV features a twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder mild hybrid, which generates 235 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque.
Slower-than-expected uptake remains a challenge
Volvo’s strong commitment to electric vehicles contradicts other automakers’ decision to scale back their electrification efforts amid the slower-than-expected uptake.
For instance, German legacy automaker Mercedes-Benz moved its target of having electric and hybrid vehicles account for 50% of its total sales to the end of the decade. It indicates a 5-year delay from its original plan of doing so by 2025.
Despite the slower electric vehicle uptake, the automotive industry’s shift to clean energy is undoubtedly progressive when one takes a longer perspective.
Volvo’s electrification progress
In hindsight, most of Volvo’s vehicle sales in the European market were diesel-powered in 2019. In a significant development, battery-electric and hybrid vehicle models have started to dominate its sales in the region.
Volvo’s electric vehicle sales increased by 70% in 2023, a major boost to its plan to become an all-electric brand by the end of the decade.
Volvo’s electrification target is crucial for the company’s wider goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.
Impressively, these efforts are already progressing in the United States. Volvo is on track to launch its two new electric vehicle models, the EX30 and EX90, in the US market in 2024.
The EX30 will arrive as a compact electric SUV with a base price of about $35,000, while the EX90 will be an electric version of the top-selling XC90 midsize SUV that starts at $77,990.
