LONDON (Reuters) – Volvo Cars said it would stop production of all its diesel models by the start of 2024 as it moves to become a fully electric carmaker.
“In a few months, the last diesel-powered Volvo car will have been assembled, making Volvo Cars one of the first car manufacturers to achieve this milestone,” the Swedish manufacturer said in a statement.
Majority owned by the Chinese group Geely, Volvo has committed to becoming fully electric in 2030.
While the majority of cars sold by Volvo in Europe were still equipped with diesel engines in 2019, they only represented 8.9% of its sales in 2022.
In August, 33% of Volvo sales were fully electric or hybrid models. The manufacturer did not specify the share of diesel engines in the remaining 67%.
Sales of diesel models fell in Europe after Volkswagen’s emissions manipulation scandal in 2015. Automakers have since gradually reduced the number of diesel models available.
In 2015, diesel vehicles represented more than 50% of new car sales in Europe. Now, they represent only 14% of sales, according to the latest data available in July.
(Reporting Nick Carey; French version Mariana Abreu)
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