Volvo will launch electric saloons and estates once its range of new electric SUVs has been completed. Although always under the criteria of an adjusted offer of models.
The Swedish firm has confirmed that once it has completed its planned range of electric SUVs, it will begin the launch of fully electric sedans and family cars. This has been stated by Jim Rowan, director of the company, although this new range of “zero emissions” models will be presented under certain nuances. The arrival of the new Volvo EX90 has marked the beginning of the new electric era for the Swedes, who are looking to present a complete offer of battery-powered models in the coming years.
Despite the announced expansion plans in its range of 100% electric models, Volvo will maintain a “tight range” philosophy and focus on “proven successful models”. That is to say, Volvo will not launch models in which there is the possibility of obtaining poor sales figures, but they will do so under the criterion and the certainty that the car in question will obtain a generous reception. To find out, they will use their historical experience in launching combustion models.
A good example of this is its hitherto well-known electric SUVs, the Volvo XC40 Recharge, Volvo C40 Recharge, and Volvo EX90, all developed with the firm intention that they will be a success in their respective sectors. These aforementioned models will be followed next year by a new smaller electric SUV, the long-awaited Volvo EX30.
Once the range of SUV models has been completed, Volvo will begin to increase its families of alternative models, such as sedans or electric family cars. “We have customers who ask for different vehicles. We will try to make sure that we can capture as many of these as possible in the coming years.”
However, the manager qualified his words with “having 40 different models is out of our strategy, which is to be tuned. We will deal with the models that we think make sense. The next one will be a new smaller electric SUV and then different formats will arrive: sedans, family, or whatever. We will get to that point when necessary.”
Jim Rowan has stated that electrification has meant the arrival of new and important innovations in the development of models since they can share technology. “The big secret is that we can use technology and transfer it to other vehicles. Sometimes it will be the platform, sometimes the software itself, and sometimes the engines themselves.” This gives the possibility of launching new bodies without the need to assume a huge development cost.
The new Volvo EX90 uses the specific SPA2 platform for electric cars, while the new Volvo EX30 will be based on SEA, developed jointly with Geely. Rowan stated during his speech that the different platforms will represent an important advance in reducing costs in its future electric models. This will lead the brand to the long-awaited price comparison between electric and thermal cars around the year 2025.
The family of electric vehicles other than SUVs will mainly feature spiritual alternatives to the current Volvo S60 and Volvo S90, along with their respective family variants. These could make an appearance in the second half of the decade when the brand expects to significantly increase its electrical alternatives.
It is still too early to know specific details about the mechanics that these new variants will obtain. However, as the brand manager has stated, future electric models will share components, so it is more than likely that these elements will be released in the next SUV body models. The electric models that Polestar markets in the coming years will also have a lot to say in this regard.
