Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan spoke to our colleagues atAutomotive News Europe on the future of the brand. Despite the delicate current situation (inflation, shortage, etc.), the objectives set are, to say the least, high. In 2021, the brand sold nearly 700,000 copies in the world. If his boss gives no indication for the year 2023, that of 2025 is much clearer. Indeed, the firm intends to sell 1.2 million cars worldwide, an increase of 70%! To achieve such a figure, Volvo is betting a lot on a small electric SUV that will appear next year: theEX30.
Logically, the latter will be placed under the C40 (4.44 m) and will benefit from the Geely platform already used for the Smart #1. The 200 kW motor (272 hp) and the 66 kWh battery should be there. Only, Jim Rowan indicated the possibility of offer several batteries to make your SUV more affordable. On the other hand, the idea of exchanging accumulators on the same car is not on the agenda for security reasons. The battery is an integral part of the structure.
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A second lever is addressed, that of rental with a minimum commitment of three months. Thus, Volvo wishes to attract a younger clientele, that of generation Z who buys largely on the Internet. Moreover, the CEO is counting on an equal share of physical and online sales.
If the future EX30 will have a fundamental role in achieving the objective set, the grand SUV XC90 will also contribute. Despite the arrival of its electric counterpart (EX90), its future is not in question, far from it. Jim Rowan specifies that the plug-in hybrid version is of great interest in the interior provinces of the United States and China, regions less well equipped with a charging structure compared to coastal areas.
Finally, the CEO wishes sell electric models at thermal prices by 2025. It relies on the evolution of battery technology (LFP) but also on a better mastery of software and silicon. The aim is also to reduce the number of computers, as is already the case on the SPA2 platform used by the EX90.