Volvo rules out 'quirky' electric cars
06 March 2013
- No stand-alone electric Volvos
- Existing models will be electrified
- Three-cylinder petrols and diesel due
Volvo will never produce stand-alone electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, the company’s research and development chief, Peter Mertens, has revealed.
'Customers don't want quirky electric vehicles' he told What Car?. 'Our electric vehicles will be in existing models'.
Volvo's electrification process has started with the V60 plug-in hybrid model and that technology will appear in future models, including the next-generation XC90 SUV, which will go on sale in 2014.
Mertens also admitted that work has started on three-cylinder diesel and petrol engines for future Volvo models. Likely recipients of the new engines will be the replacement for the V40 and a new small SUV, dubbed XC40. Both are being jointly developed using new architecture with parent company Geely.
By Chas Hallett
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