Volvo will soon wave goodbye to the diesel engine, as all of its remaining diesel-powered models are going out of production by early 2024.
The automaker made the announcement during the Climate Week NYC with the following statement: “In a few months from now, the last diesel-powered Volvo car will have been built, making Volvo Cars one of the first legacy car makers to take this step”.
Volvo cited changing market demand, tighter emission regulations, and their focus on electrification as the main reasons behind their decision to axe diesel engines. While diesels emit less CO2 compared to petrol engines, they emit more nitrogen oxide (NOx) which has a negative effect on air quality.
More: Volvo Axes Sedans And Wagons From UK Due To Slow Sales
Volvo’s latest 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder mill was rated at anywhere between 148 hp (110 kW / 150 PS) and 232 hp (173 kW / 235 PS) depending on the variant (D3, D4, D5). The diesel engine was available with single or twin turbochargers and even got mild hybrid tech to improve its environmental credentials.
Volvo admits that diesel once was their “bread and butter” in Europe but has now been replaced by EVs and PHEVs. As reported by Reuters, diesel-powered Volvos went from being the majority in 2019, to accounting for only 8.9% of the automaker’s global sales in 2022. According to the most recent sales data from August 2023, electrified models accounted for 33% of Volvo’s sales, with the remaining 67% being ICE-powered vehicles. In general, the share of diesel-powered cars in the European market dropped to 14.1% in July 2023, from more than 50% back in 2015.
Volvo has pledged to become an EV-only brand by 2030 and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. Last year, the company terminated the development of new combustion engines – petrol or diesel – confirming its focus on electrification. In that context, Jim Rowan, CEO of Volvo Cars said: “Electric powertrains are our future, and superior to combustion engines: they generate less noise, less vibration, less servicing costs for our customers and zero tailpipe emissions. We’re fully focused on creating a broad portfolio of premium, fully electric cars that deliver on everything our customers expect from a Volvo – and are a key part of our response to climate change.”
