Volvo aims for 50% sales as pure EVs by 2025

Volvo is stepping up its move toward electrification, even though it doesn’t have a pure EV yet.

It announced at the Auto China 2018 show in Beijing that the target is 50% of car sales to be all-electric by 2025.

The Chinese-owned Swedish manufacturer built on its 2017 promise that all new Volvo models would be electrified and use mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery electric propulsion by 2019.

“Last year we made a commitment to electrification in preparation for an era beyond the internal combustion engine. Today we reinforce and expand that commitment in the world’s leading market for electrified cars. China’s electric future is Volvo Cars’ electric future,” Volvo Cars president and chief executive officer Hakan Samuelsson announced at the auto show.

It’s expected to soon bring out an all-electric XC40 compact SUV, launching five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021 – three in the Volvo range and two as part of its Polestar high-performance models now rebranded as electric with a factory in China.