Volvo Cars Australia has announced plans to sell only fully-electric cars locally from 2026, which is four years earlier than the global target set by its parent company, in a bid to increase its marketshare and join the electric vehicle boom. This means that Australian new car buyers only have just over three years to buy a petrol-powered Volvo, after which, all new Volvo cars sold locally will be powered by electricity.
“Globally, Volvo is firmly committed to becoming an electric-only carmaker by 2030, but in Australia we will make the transition happen by 2026,” said Stephen Connor, Managing Director of Volvo Car Australia.
“The earlier deadline will allow us to meet the expectations of our Australian customers and be a part of the solution when it comes to fighting climate change. Sustainability is now as important as safety to us, with climate action having the highest priority.
Currently, Volvo only sells two dedicated fully-electric cars locally – the XC40 Recharge and just-launched C40 Recharge – but from next year, will launch five new electric cars to achieve its all-electric lineup goal.
The first cab off the rank is the EX90, which will eventually replace the XC90 large SUV, which is due to be revealed imminently. After that is unknown, but an educated guess would see the popular XC60 replaced with an all-new full-EV model (perhaps named EX60), as well as the S60 and V60 mid-size sedan and wagon and next-generation XC40 small SUV.
As part of an effort to tackle climate change, the company believes that there’s no future left in cars with internal combustion engines.
“There is no long-term future for cars with an internal combustion engine. So, instead of investing in a shrinking business, we choose to invest in the future, which is fully electric.” said Mr Connor.
But the brand’s efforts for a fully-electric future won’t just be with product, as the company will support buyers with free fast-charging at Volvo dealers.
Part of the early switch to fully electric vehicles is to jump on the electric vehicle boom, but it’s also to increase Australian Volvo sales to 20,000 units annually by 2026. Last year, Volvo sold 9,028 cars in Australia in the middle of big stock shortages that have crippled the global industry but this year alone, it’s sold 8,131 units to the end of September.
“The decision to sell only electric cars from 2026 makes perfect sense, and we believe it will give us a strategic advantage in the Australian market. The final piece of the jigsaw will be converting the last 20 per cent of our customers to a fully electric future from 2026.
“I am very confident we can achieve this, and even go beyond to achieve our aspiration of selling 20,000 fully electric cars every year in Australia.
Read our review of the latest Volvo in the stable: the all-electric C40 coupe SUV and stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for the latest automotive news and reviews.
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