Volvo bids farewell to diesel, marking a new era of electrification

As announced, Volvo has just ended production of passenger cars with diesel engines. The last unit will go directly to the brand's new museum.

A few years ago, diesel versions accounted for more than half of Volvo's sales—this was still the case as recently as 2019. However, as early as 2017, the company's then-president, Hakan Samuelsson, announced that Volvo would no longer develop this type of power unit and intended to withdraw it from sale.

This prediction has just become a reality: on 26 March at the factory in Torslanda, Sweden, the last Volvo with a diesel engine was produced – a blue XC90 that will not go into the hands of a customer but to the World of Volvo factory museum in Gothenburg. Meanwhile, in February, the Volvo plants in Ghent had already produced their last diesel – a V60. If someone wants to buy a Volvo with such an engine – it's the last call. Dealers still have such cars available.

Volvo's history of diesel engines spans 45 years. The first model with a diesel engine was the 244 GL D6 from 1979. Under the hood was a six-cylinder engine from a Volkswagen LT delivery truck with just 110 hp and a level of refinement that left something to be desired. Volvo also used a 2.5-litre TDI from Volkswagen in later periods.

Volvo released its own diesel engine for the first time in 2001 – it was a legendary, 5-cylinder unit produced in the Skövde plants, which was a perfect fit for the V70 model and proved to be a sales hit. Interestingly, this engine also featured a sporty version (in the S60 Challenge) and was modified by Volvo Penta for use in boats.

In 2008, the portfolio was supplemented by the 1.6 Drive-e engine built in cooperation with the French PSA group. Its very low consumption resulted in low CO2 emissions and a range of even 1300 kilometres on a tank. With only 109 hp, this engine was installed in the compact C30 and the flagship S80 (!). The latter extended the acceleration time from 0-100 km/h to almost 13 seconds.

In 2012, the V60 D6 plug-in hybrid debuted. It was the first plug-in hybrid with a diesel engine. The combustion engine generated 215 hp and the electric one – 70. The range on electricity was 50 kilometres, while the combined range was even 1000 kilometres. Despite technical advancements, this type of drive did not make a career in Volvo models. The new generation of plug-in hybrids now only had petrol engines.

In 2013, Volvo introduced its second diesel engine family: VEA. This design shared many elements with petrol engines, but it was characterized by significantly lower fuel consumption than petrol engines of that period—hence its great popularity among customers, especially in SUVs.

Volvo does not hide its pride in ditching diesel and emphasizes that this is a milestone towards the full electrification of the brand, which will take place by 2030. By 2040, the Swedish-Chinese manufacturer aims to achieve climate neutrality in its activities. Currently, one-third of Volvo sold worldwide are fully electric, with sales of these models increasing by as much as 70 percent last year – even though the brand's most important electric premieres are delayed. The small EX30 has just entered showrooms with a few months' delay, while the flagship EX90 is likely to reach customers as much as 2 years later than originally planned. Volvo is having significant issues with refining the software in this vehicle.