Connect with us
Finance Digest is a leading online platform for finance and business news, providing insights on banking, finance, technology, investing,trading, insurance, fintech, and more. The platform covers a diverse range of topics, including banking, insurance, investment, wealth management, fintech, and regulatory issues. The website publishes news, press releases, opinion and advertorials on various financial organizations, products and services which are commissioned from various Companies, Organizations, PR agencies, Bloggers etc. These commissioned articles are commercial in nature. This is not to be considered as financial advice and should be considered only for information purposes. It does not reflect the views or opinion of our website and is not to be considered an endorsement or a recommendation. We cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information provided with respect to your individual or personal circumstances. Please seek Professional advice from a qualified professional before making any financial decisions. We link to various third-party websites, affiliate sales networks, and to our advertising partners websites. When you view or click on certain links available on our articles, our partners may compensate us for displaying the content to you or make a purchase or fill a form. This will not incur any additional charges to you. To make things simpler for you to identity or distinguish advertised or sponsored articles or links, you may consider all articles or links hosted on our site as a commercial article placement. We will not be responsible for any loss you may suffer as a result of any omission or inaccuracy on the website.
NEWS

Exclusive: Volvo readies EV blitz in biggest product revamp under Geely

Published On :

By Norihiko Shirouzu

(Reuters) – Volvo Cars is gearing up for an electric blitz to convert all its mainstay models – three SUVs and two sedans – into electric vehicles and to introduce a luxury electric van aimed at boosting sales in Asia, two people with knowledge of the plans said.

The Swedish carmaker, wholly owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, is expected to launch at least six new battery electric vehicles through 2026, the two people told Reuters.

Volvo has announced an objective to make its entire lineup fully electric by 2030. The company’s Australia unit has said it plans to sell only EVs in that market by 2026.

The previously unreported product plans amount to the largest revamp of Volvo’s model line-up since Geely acquired the brand from Ford Motor Co in 2010.

Under Geely, Volvo initially started to share technologies such as car platforms with Geely.

The makeover for Volvo, a Swedish brand that built a reputation for safety and utilitarian design, follows from a greater focus on customer trends in Asia and a push to win sales there, the people said.

The two people with knowledge of Volvo’s planning asked not to be named because details have not been announced by the company. Geely declined to comment.

Among the new battery electric cars being planned for the next four years is a Volvo-branded MPV or van that would be based on a vehicle Geely’s Zeekr brand sells in China.

Called the Zeekr 009, the hulking, battery-electric van, which starts at about 500,000 yuan ($74,179), offers three rows of seating.

The vehicle competes against the likes of the Toyota Alphard, a business or family van, with airplane business class-like seats for passengers that has proven popular in Asian markets such as China and Japan as a limousine alternative.

Volvo has moved development work on sedans and the coming people-mover model to its Shanghai research and development hub, they said. That centre, which has tripled its design staff to about 60 people, has recently moved to a new and larger building in Shanghai, one of the sources said.

The first of Volvo’s new planned electric models, the EX90 sport-utility crossover, was unveiled late last year. It is expected to hit showrooms in early 2024.

Other battery electric cars in the pipeline include electric versions of Volvo’s mainline products – the XC90, XC60 and XC40 crossover vehicles and the S60 and S90 sedans, the sources said.

Those mainline cars will follow Volvo’s established, simple design cues, but the new MPV will target buyers in China and other markets with a more “emotional” design that builds from the Zeekr 009, which features a massive, LED-illuminated grille, one of the sources said.

Volvo has carved out and sold its gasoline engine and hybrid powertrain operations to Geely.

The Chinese automaker has moved to combine all of its gasoline powertrain assets, including those from Volvo, with factories being carved out of Renault to create a new company focused on hybrid and gasoline engines.

Renault and Geely are working to finalise a deal to bring Saudi Aramco in as an investor and partner in that venture, Reuters has reported.

 

(Reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu; Additional reporting by Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Stephen Coates)

 

Continue Reading

Why pay for news and opinions when you can get them for free?

       Subscribe for free now!


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

Recent Posts