Volvo has revealed its global electrification strategy which will see it develop a range of hybrid cars and a fully electric car for sale by 2019.

VOLVO’S GLOBAL ELECTRIFICATION STRATEGY will begin locally with the launch in 2016 of the T8 Twin Engine All-Wheel Drive plug-in hybrid version of the Volvo XC90. Volvo plans to introduce plug-in hybrids across its entire range over the coming years, culminating in a full electric car on sale by 2019.

The first element of the new electrification strategy involves the introduction of plug-in hybrid versions of its 90 series and 60 series larger cars, based on the company’s new Scalable Product Architecture. The XC90, as mentioned, will be the first vehicle to get the plug-in hybrid treatment, with the S90 following after that. Volvo Cars will also broaden the range of plug-in hybrid cars it offers with the introduction of a new front-wheel drive Twin Engine variant.

Kevin McCann, Managing Director of Volvo Car Australia, said: “We believe that the time has come for electrified cars to cease being a niche technology and enter the mainstream. We are confident that in two years’ time, 10 per cent of Volvo’s sales in Australia will be electrified cars. We believe plug-in hybrid cars offer customers the best combination of efficiency, range and convenience.

“Our All-New XC90 T8 Twin Engine, to be launched in Q1 2016, will be one of the cleanest and most powerful 7-seater SUV on the market. It will deliver over 300 kilowatts equivalent and just 49 g/km CO2, plus a pure electric range of 43 km, an industry leading 2.1 l/100 km in fuel economy and reaching 100 km/h in just 5.6 seconds.”

This combination of power, efficiency and environmental friendliness will be the hall marks in all of Volvo Cars’ forthcoming electrified models.

“We have learned a lot about how people use cars with electrification,” Mr McCann said. “Our research has shown that people are driving Volvo’s Twin Engine cars in electric mode around 50 per cent of the time, meaning our plug-in hybrids already offer a real alternative to conventional powertrain systems.

“With around 40 years of experience in the field of electrification, Volvo Cars has learned a lot about battery management along the way, delivering the best range per kilowatt hour in the industry. We have come to a point where the cost versus benefit calculation for electrification is now almost positive. Battery technology has improved, costs are going down, and public acceptance of electrification is no longer a question,” Mr McCann added.