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.
Published March 28, 2024 7:42PM