The Swedish carmaker has announced it will be ditching the internal combustion engine and will be a fully electric car company by 2030. Its 2nd all-electric model was revealed too, the C40 Recharge.

Volvo Cars has announced its intentions of becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric car market and plans to become a fully electric car company by 2030. By 2030, the Geely-owned brand intends on phasing out any vehicle with an internal combustion engine in its portfolio. The only vehicles it will be selling will be purely electric.

Its a bold and ambitious claim from Volvo to go purely electric. As we've seen with Jaguar Land Rover, it's only Jaguar who is going pure electric, with Land Rover still offering some form of internal combustion / hybrid powertrain to customers. The entire car sales process will be changing too and Volvo will be focusing intensely on online car sales. All fully electric Volvos will be available online only. There will be a few electric cars revealed and Volvo's 2025 goal is 50% of its global sales to be fully electric, with the remaining 50% being hybrids.

“To remain successful, we need profitable growth. So instead of investing in a shrinking business, we choose to invest in the future – electric and online,” said Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive. “We are fully focused on becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric segment.”

“There is no long-term future for cars with an internal combustion engine,” said Henrik Green, chief technology officer. “We are firmly committed to becoming an electric-only car maker and the transition should happen by 2030. It will allow us to meet the expectations of our customers and be a part of the solution when it comes to fighting climate change.”

Volvo, not to be confused with its electric performance brand Polestar, launched its first fully electric car the XC40 last year and the 2nd model has just been revealed. It's called the Volvo C40 Recharge and it will be sold exclusively online. Essentially, its an XC40 in a flashier coupe SUV body style and it features the same powertrain as the XC40 Recharge.

Power outputs are rated at 300 kW and 660 Nm, with 0-100 kph dispatched in an impressive 4.7 seconds. Top speed is rated at 180 kph as per Volvo's safety strategy. According to the WLTP cycle, the Volvo C40 Recharge has a range of 420 km and it will take 8 hours to charge it on an 11 kW plug. If you can find a 150 kW charger, 80% capacity will take just 40 minutes. Volvo has already said there'll be future Over-The-Air (OTA) updates that will enhance the range. Production of the Volvo C40 Recharge begins in 2021 and there'll be another 5 electric Volvos revealed by 2025.

Further Reading

Volvo to Bring Small Electric Crossover to Market

Volvo XC40 Recharge Revealed

Volvo XC40 T3 R-Design (2019) Review

Volvo XC90 (2019) Launch Review

Volvo XC40 (2018) Launch Review

Volvo XC60 D4 R-Design (2019) Review