The first ELECTRIC Volvo will be made in China and exported globally
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Volvo has confirmed that its first battery electric car will be built in China for global export, and that it will be built on the new CMA Platform. An electric XC40?
There has been talk of a new electric car platform for Volvo’s EVs, but Volvo has now clarified that the new EV will be built on the CMA platform which underpins the upcoming Volvo 40 Series range (and the new Lynk & Co 01 and 03).
That makes more sense, although we’re still not sure if Volvo are going to deliver a new body style for the 40 Series EV, or whether it will be offering a pure electric powertrain as an option across the 40 Series range.
We’ve long believed the most likely candidate for electrification is the new XC40, and if we’ve learned anything from the rise of hybrids it’s that they appeal to the market more when they’re underpinning cars buyers are used to.
As Toyota has discovered by rolling out hybrid versions of their range in addition to the headline hybrid Prius, it’s easier to convince buyers with a familiar product with a new powertrain to make the move than it is to expect them to buy-in to a new model.
But whatever the new EV from Volvo is, it’s a major step on the route to Volvo’s target of a million electrified Volvos by 2025.
Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo’s CEO, said:
Volvo Cars fully supports the Chinese government’s call for cleaner air as outlined in the latest five-year plan. It is fully in-line with our own core values of environmental care, quality and safety.
We believe that electrification is the answer to sustainable mobility.
Volvo also confirmed they are working on a bigger EV based on the SPA Platform which underpins the new 60 Series cars and the 90 Series range.
Expect the new electric Volvo XC40 (or whatever it’s called) to arrive in 2019 and cost from around £35,000.
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