Last year, Volvo announced that it will end production of all remaining diesel models in 2024, as the company’s goal is to become a fully electric brand by the end of the decade. After almost half a century and more than nine million diesel cars sold in the last 33 years, Volvo has decided that it’s time for the end. Their last diesel car is a Volvo XC90.
This SUV is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the VEA (Volvo Engine Architecture) family. It is the second diesel engine that Volvo has produced in its 97-year history. Their first diesel engine was produced at the beginning of the century, in the Swedish factory in Skovde, which in the meantime switched to the production of electric engines.
Diesel cars used to be in high demand, at least in Europe. In 2015, more than 50 percent of new cars sold in Europe were diesels. But since then, their demand has been falling rapidly. 2019 was the last year when the majority of Volvo cars sold were diesels. After that, a big drop in sales of these cars was recorded every year, and in 2022 it was only 8.9 percent.
“Electric powertrains are our future, and superior to combustion engines: they generate less noise, less vibration, less servicing costs for our customers and zero tailpipe emissions. We’re fully focused on creating a broad portfolio of premium, fully electric cars that deliver on everything our customers expect from a Volvo – and are a key part of our response to climate change,” says Jim Rowan, Chief Executive at Volvo Cars.
Source: Volvo
