The large manufacturers have marked on their calendars the steps to take until they reach the total electrification of their ranges. Some very soon (like Opel, already in 2025), others later… In the case of Volvo, it intends to sell only 100% electric vehicles from 2030, with the EX30 being one of its cornerstones.
The technological capacity of the Swedish brand is well-known to everyone. The pioneering nature is in its DNA and, although in the field of electric cars, it is behind the giant Tesla and Chinese manufacturers, it is taking several steps in a promising direction to become, once again, a benchmark in the industry.
Now, with the help of Geely, Volvo is experiencing a second youth thanks to growing electrification technology and plans a major model offensive not only for 2030 but for 2026. However, not all are names of new models in the North European manufacturer.
Volvo’s path to the electric ‘peak’
One of its key movements is the signing of Anders Bell, the now director of research and development at Volvo, who held a similar position at Tesla for 6 years since last 2016. Bell was in the years of exponential growth of the brand American (both in California and Berlin), so it can provide much-needed insight into the way electric cars are designed and developed.
For example, in the use of megacasting, the manufacturing method that Tesla uses with the Model Y uses hydraulic presses, which Volvo intends to start soon. Anders Bell will play a key role in the engineering of upcoming electric Volvo cars.
Curiously, Bell keeps a Tesla Model Y as his car, with which he travels to the factory. The Swede, who was previously at Volvo and has accumulated 25 years of engineering experience, made a very interesting comparison between Elon Musk’s brand and the rest of the manufacturers: unlike the latter, Tesla never had a newspaper or printed edition, but it started out being digital. The rest of the brands must make a transition to digital that Tesla has not had to make, with the problems that may entail.
Volvo is on that path and, to accelerate that process, apart from signing Anders Bell, it has just opened a new 22,000 square meter test center in Gothenburg. An infrastructure will grow there for the development of the latest generation software for future electric Volvos. The Swedish firm will not only focus on improving motors, batteries, or electric transmissions: the software will be a fundamental part of achieving its objectives and beating its rivals.
Volvo already has facilities and software testing centers in Lund and Shanghai, China, but the latter in Sweden is the largest “in terms of size and capacity”: it will start with 100 people and almost 200 test benches, but over time They will triple their staff and multiply their test benches by five.
Volvo’s path currently passes through the EX30, the new compact electric SUV that it manufactures in China and will soon also do so in Europe. In addition, the Swedish firm has signed an agreement with StoreDot to develop batteries that charge in just 5 minutes.
