Volvo is first major carmaker to forgo traditional engines

[DonViejo]

Source: New York Daily News




THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wednesday, July 5, 2017, 9:39 AM

HELSINKI (AP) — Volvo will begin producing electric motors on all its cars from 2019, becoming the first major automaker to forgo traditional engines that rely exclusively on internal combustion.

The Swedish company, which has been making cars since 1927 and in recent decades became famous for its station wagons and safety features, said Wednesday that the decision was prompted by the wishes of customers, describing it as "one of the most significant moves by any car maker."

CEO Hakan Samuelsson said the shift to electric motors would "strengthen our brand image, which is a lot about protecting what is important for you (customers)." Volvo Cars said it aims to reach its target of selling 1 million electrified cars by 2025, with a range of models, including fully electric vehicles and hybrid cars.

"This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car," Samuelsson said. "People increasingly demand electrified cars and we want to respond to our customers' current and future needs."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/newswires/news/business/volvo-major-carmaker-forgo-traditional-engines-article-1.3302086

[ffr]

1. Recommended: I demand electric transportation too

At least make an efficient hybrid.

[liberal N proud]

2. Tesla doesn't have internal combustion engines

The article should be first company to abandon engines.

[frazzled]

3. It said "major" automaker

Tesla is still fairly niche.

[rickford66]

11. Google the definition of forgo.

[gilbert sullivan]

15. It's a town in North Dokota

[rickford66]

17. If I'm careful, I Minot make that mistake next time.

[Thor_MN]

21. You guys done leaving Bismarcks all over the place in this little contest?

[IronLionZion]

4. Good, this should be encouraged

as more cars are all electric, then as a society we need to build charging stations or encourage swappable standard size batteries or something to make it usable.

Our massive amount of gas stations didn't spring up spontaneously just to put the horse and carriage service industry out of business. It happened over time.

Also fire departments and first responders have gotten a lot of training in recent years on how to rescue people out of dangerously electrified vehicles. Change is inevitable.

[Igel]

10. With demand will come the stations.

But somebody will have to find some way to pay for them, meaning some way to charge customers for the electricity they draw and the overhead needed to pay for the infrastructure and any staffing.

I don't see swappable batteries working. I doubt anybody would want a 5-year-old old battery that's close to failing swapped for one they had installed last week. Perhaps the right kind of insurance could handle it, but there's still the incovenience of having your car going into the shop.

I'd also be concerned that in a crash, instead of gasoline leaking and proving a hazard there'd be toxic chemicals from battery leakage.

[IronLionZion]

12. Already got them here in DC, MD, VA

Many parking garages have charging stations where people pay to charge up while they are at work. One of my neighbors has a Tesla but no charger at home so he does it at work.

Tesla explored the swappable battery concept but rejected it for now. They have invested in supercharging stations and have hundreds of them built already. It takes about 30 minutes https://www.tesla.com/supercharger

[Adrahil]

14. Seems like an excellent place for infrastructure dollars....

Also, I think swappable batteries could work. Just make it so the car buyer never really has to buy a battery. Make the batteries in standard formats, and you simply pay a fee when you swap based on the Amp-hours the battery is charged with. Perhaps a deposit on the first battery. Users would pay a lower fee to charge the battery installed in the car, or a slightly higher fee to do a swap.

Swapping will be necessary until rapid charge technologies become widely available. Realistically, we'll need to be able to perform an 80% charge in 10 minutes before charging becomes practical as a primary method for longer trips.

[The Wizard]

19. Lithium ion batteries

last 10 to 15 years.

[snooper2]

5. That first sentence doesn't match the rest of the article

Volvo, which since 2010 has been owned by Chinese firm Geely, will launch five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021. Three of them will be Volvo models and two will be electrified cars from Polestar, Volvo Cars' performance car arm. It also plans to supplement them with a range of gasoline and diesel plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid, or 48-volt, options on all models, which the company said would be one of the "broadest electrified car offerings of any car maker."

[appal_jack]

6. Volvos are awful quality though.

When did Volvo last make a reliable internal combustion engine anyway? Like many European cars (Mercedes & VW too from what I hear), Volvos are basically trash after 90k miles or so. A 2001 V30 with ~100k miles on it was among the very worst used car decisions I ever made. It looked good, and was reasonable on fuel. It also handled the curves nicely, but it fell apart and required 4-figure, dealership-only repairs every few months (no local mechanic would touch the damned thing in all of its hideous complexity).

I would not care if they were to be powered by happy thoughts alone, I still would never buy another Volvo.

-app

[dembotoz]

13. similar with other complex cars

family mechanic (god bless him) talked my wife out of a used car for that reason

good reputation, good vehicle and all that
but the top of the line model which this was had all the complex doo dads and what nots on it.

if something broke which is gonna happen with a used car...would have been god awful expensive

[murielm99]

16. I drive a 2007 Volvo with 90k plus miles.

It is very reliable. I have never had to do anything but routine maintenance. I plan to keep it another ten years.

Volvos are safe and reliable.

[tolumnia]

18. I like my 1988 volvo

Our 1988 Volvo 240 DL wagon has over 300,000 miles and we have had very few problems over the past two decades and more years.

[appal_jack]

26. The 240 DL is indeed a classic.

The 240's solid reliability is what I'd hoped for with my V30. They are not similar at all, unfortunately.

-app

[rurallib]

7. hell of a gamble, ain't it?

[NutmegYankee]

23. Not really - it just means any gas or diesel engine car will be a hybrid.

They can pump out some fairly traditional designs with just a low speed motor for less efficient operations like driving around parking lots or supplement a smaller engine with a booster motor to give good acceleration while getting the higher fuel efficiency of a smaller engine.

[Honeycombe8]

8. Well, that's a bold move. Wish I could get electric.

But having just one car, I would be afraid of running out of juice on the road. Also, juicing up at home, how do you do that, if the power is out?

That sounds fine for a second car. In the future, I expect there will be electric stations everywhere.

[NutmegYankee]

24. Volvo isn't going only electric - they include hybrids in their plan

Think Prius.

[Honeycombe8]

25. Oh. That's better. nt

[Yavin4]

9. Looks like we'll have to invade Sweden soon.

When it comes to oil, we're like drug dealers. We cannot have our customers going clean.

[The Wizard]

20. winner

follow the money

[Strelnikov_]

22. Still don't think Ove would buy one. n/t