Volvo Launches New M Brand – Not For Performance, But For Mobility

Automakers around the world are actively working on transitioning from simply manufacturing automobiles into more comprehensive mobility providers. And for Volvo, that will now come down to one letter: M.

The Swedish company has announced the integration of all its mobility services under the new M brand, whose name we’d imagine rival BMW might have a thing or two to say. Nomenclature aside, the full details of what Gothenburg will offer under the new brand are still to come. But it’s given us a few indications.

The brand is set to provide “on-demand access to cars and services.” That could include the Care by Volvo subscription program. But in the more immediate future, it will integrate the services of Sunfleet – Volvo’s car-sharing operation that operates a fleet of 1,700 cars and stands as the leading car sharing company in Sweden, operating there now for 20 years.

“The services currently available mainly offer alternatives to a taxi or public transit,” said Volvo’s mobility chief Bodil Eriksson. “We aim to provide a real alternative to that experience. It should enable us to live life on our terms, getting things done and maximising precious time.’”

While Stockholm will serve as the M brand’s base of operations, it plans to launch test programs in both Sweden and the United States next spring.

“We recognize that urban consumers are rethinking traditional car ownership. M is part of our answer. We are evolving to become a direct-to-consumer services provider under our new mission ‘Freedom to Move’,” said Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson. “The launch of M creates new sources of revenue for Volvo Cars and will be integral to the company’s ambition to build more than 5 million direct consumer relationships by the middle of the next decade.”