Volvo plans to even give the Volvo a facelift.
The automotive industry is in a weird time. It’s a difficult time for the automotive industry as automakers begin to transition to electric cars. Volvo plans to be a fully-electric car company by 2030. The company will soon launch an all-electric flagship vehicle that will replace the XC90 crossover. However, that model is not going away anytime soon.
Hakan Samuelsson, Volvo CEO, told Automotive News Europe it would use its two factories to simultaneously produce the XC90 as well as its successor. Volvo’s new EV will be produced in South Carolina while the XC90 will continue to be made in Sweden. Samuelsson questioned the reason why Volvo would stop production at the Torslanda plant, when there is still a market in hybrid powertrains like the XC90.
Volvo will do more than continue production. In the future, the CEO stated that the Volvo model will get an updated styling. Customers should not expect powertrain upgrades. Samuelsson stated to the publication that Volvo will invest in “the next generation of all-electric vehicles.” However, XC90 production will cease eventually. Volvo will make investments in the Torslanda plant to make it EV-ready. This investment is expected to begin in 2025.
Volvo continues to make the first-generation XC90 even after the second-gen was released. This is a common practice. A few years back, Jeep produced the Wrangler JK, Wrangler JL, and the 1500 Classic. Although it’s not new, it is certainly interesting.
The successor to the XC90 is rumoredly to be called the Embla. However, Volvo has not yet announced a date. We do not have much information about the model, but we do know that it will be the brand’s first electric vehicle. It was designed from the beginning to be able to accept an all-electric motor, which will bring significant benefits to the interior packaging. It will feature a flat floor and an open interior, according to the CEO.