We proudly
announced it to the world at Climate Week NYC in September last year, and now
it’s becoming a reality: we've built our last diesel car.
Whatever
relation you’ve had with our diesel cars – whether you've designed, developed,
built, sold, shipped, serviced, bought, driven, cleaned, changed their tires,
or simply loved them – this whole article is a tribute to you.
On a cloudy
Thursday in early February, our colleagues in Ghent built their last
diesel-powered car, a V60. And just the other day, our plant in Torslanda saw
its last XC90 diesel car roll off the production line.
These events
mark a huge milestone in our company’s 97-year long history. With this move,
we’re taking a big step toward our ambitions of becoming a fully electric car
maker, as well as achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
Goodbye
diesel, hello electric
For a long
time, our diesel engines were synonymous with reliability and efficiency, and
they meant a great deal to us for many decades. Indeed, the success of our
diesel cars played a significant role in our evolution into a premium brand.
In recent
years, the electric revolution has evolved quicker than most of us could have
imagined. And it’s largely propelled by tightening regulations around tailpipe
emissions, as well as customer demand in response to the climate crisis and a
desire for cleaner urban air. Only five years ago, the diesel engine was our
bread and butter in Europe, just like it was for most other car makers. The
majority of the cars we sold in Europe in 2019 ran on diesel, while electric
models were just starting to gain traction.
Today, most
of our sales on the continent are electrified cars. Last year, we increased our
sales of fully electric cars by 70 per cent, and our global electric market
share by 34 per cent. The figures speak for themselves, underscoring that the
all-electric direction we’re now heading toward is the right one to take, and
we do so with our flag held high.
While our
future indeed is fully electric, our mixed portfolio includes some excellent
plug-in and mild hybrid models and will act as a perfect bridge toward that
future.
A history of
pride
Before we say
farewell to our diesel cars, let’s take a walk down memory lane and explore how
it all began and unfolded. Here
are some key milestones in our diesel history:
- 1979. Neither Sweden nor Europe is a diesel market. Those who buy
diesel cars tend to be taxi drivers or long-haul travelers. But people
have slowly begun to see the benefits of the more efficient diesel engines
and demand is on the rise. So, we listen to our customers and introduce
our first-ever diesel car: the Volvo 244 GL D6. The engine is powerful,
very efficient and the world’s first six-cylinder diesel engine for
passenger cars!
- 2001. The diesel car scene gains momentum. When we launch the Volvo
V70, it’s also finally time for us to introduce our first self-built
diesel engine. This five-cylinder piece, manufactured at the Volvo
Powertrain plant in Skövde, Sweden, is to become a huge success
- and will power many Volvo cars across Europe. It’s made in several
different versions and is so powerful that it’s even being used on the
racetrack in a car called S60 Challenge. Fun fact: our friends at Volvo
Penta decide to make a marine version of this engine.
- 2008. Time for our next big diesel milestone: the launch of the
Drive-E lineup – featuring small yet highly efficient 1.6-litre diesel
engines. With the sun on your face and the wind at your back, you can go
1,300 km on a single tank, and C02 emission levels so low that they get
classified as ‘green engines’ in Sweden. The Drive-E engines are flexibly
built and work well in different Volvo models. And, with their balance of
efficiency and performance, they mark a big step forward in diesel
technology.
- 2012. We launch the Volvo V60 D6 plug-in hybrid which is a unique
car: it’s the world’s first plug-in hybrid fitted with a diesel engine. At
the time, it is our technically most advanced model ever – electric,
hybrid, and a muscle car all at once. And it’s truly something of an
engineering wonder. Depending on the driving mode, it can go as far as 50
kilometres on electric power, has a total range of up to 1,000 kilometres,
and with a combined power of 215+70 horsepower, it accelerates from 0 to
100 km/h in 6.2 seconds.
- 2013. For the second time in history, we launch a completely
self-built diesel engine family: Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA). The
combination of higher injection pressure and the unique i-ART technology
is considered revolutionary in the diesel industry. Our customers can
enjoy better fuel economy, lower emissions and high output – and with a
distinct, roaring sound as a bonus. The new engines are used in a variety
of models and become a success in the XC90 generation 2. They live on
until the end, powering the very last diesel-powered V60 and XC90 we
build.
- 2023. We move away from combustion engines by selling our
stake in Aurobay, the combustion engine joint venture company we have
together with Geely Holding
First diesel Volvo built in Gent alongside the last
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