Jim Rowan: 2030 all EVs ‘very achievable’, new model ‘this year’

Volvo Cars boss Jim Rowan says he’s “confident” that Volvo can hit its target of becoming a fully electric car company by 2030.

While consumer demand for electric vehicles has softened in some markets, Rowan said the premium sector “is very different to the mass market”, where households often have two cars – and may have both an internal combustion engine car and an EV. Plus, they often have access to their own charging infrastructure.

“So the barriers to adoption are much less,” said Rowan.

Meanwhile, production of the new EX30 is now in full swing. “We immediately saw [the EX30] become the third best selling EV in Europe behind the Tesla Y and the Tesla 3. So that is a great start for that car, and demand is strong,” said Rowan.

“We’ll see full production for the rest of this year and all of next and we’ll also have the EX90 and EM90. So three brand new cars all in full production this year and all through 2025, in addition to the refreshed EX40 and EC40,” added Rowan.

“When you wrap all of that together… then I think it is more than possible for us to reach that ambitious target of 50 per cent [fully electric sales] by 2025. And then you go onto 2030, we’ve got another five years.”

Over that time, battery range and costs will improve, while charging infrastructure “will massively improve … you’re going to see new innovation and investment all round,” said Rowan.

“Let’s be honest, the innovation, the investment, the research is all being done on EV. It is not being done on internal combustion engines. When you add all that together, you see a really clear path towards a fully electric future in that time span of 2030. Less servicing costs for customers, less heat, vibration and noise and zero tailpipe emissions. Put all that together and I think you’ll see that being a very achievable future.”

**New model incoming**

Meanwhile, Volvo “will also announce another EV car at the back end of this year which will start sales in 2025”, said Rowan.

There has been some speculation that Volvo is laying the ground to launch a fully electric wagon, given the brand’s strong estate car heritage. Asked when Volvo will launch all-electric sedans and wagons, Rowan chuckled.

“We haven’t released that [information],” he said, stating the company plans its cycles around different geographies, demographics and demand. “So we put all of that into our range planner … and then when the time is right, we announce those plans to the public,” he grinned. “So that is a wait and see question.”

**XC60 PHEV powering**

In the meantime, demand for hybrid models remains strong. Asked if Volvo was surprised that its XC60 PHEV was Europe’s best selling model in the first quarter, Chief Commercial Officer and Deputy CEO, Björn Annwall, said that had also been the case the previous quarter.

“I was not surprised at all … it has been [the best seller] for six months in a row,” said Annwall.

“People see the advantages of fully electric cars, but there is still range anxiety, the infrastructure is not built out and it takes time to learn a new behaviour,” said Annwall.

“With the XC60 we have very good distance on it – it can drive 70-80km in pure electric mode. For consumers who can charge overnight or at work, that is typically what you need for the daily commute. We see that from the statistics: people are using those cars more as electric cars than as ICE cars – more than 50 per cent of the energy comes from charging with electricity,” he added.

“So it is a very strong solution that Volvo consumers are truly valuing – and that is why we continue to give love to these cars, because they are not just a bridge for this year, they are a bridge for a long period of time.”

Find out more about the XC60 PHEV here, and the EX30 here – or speak to your local retailer.