Volvo will stop using diesel completely in 2024, but we don't notice much of that

Another step closer to a fully electric future

You probably already knew that Volvo – and pretty much all other car brands – only wants to offer electric models by 2030. Ten years later, the brand wants to 'operate completely climate neutral'. The first step towards those missions is to say goodbye to diesel cars. From next year, Volvo will no longer build a car that runs on diesel.

Here in the Netherlands we won't notice much of that. Volvo has not been selling diesel cars in the Netherlands for a while, but it still does in Belgium and Germany. Volvo's last diesel car will roll off the production line at the beginning of 2024. The brand hopes that by scrapping diesel it will 'inspire other companies to act more courageously against climate change'.

Not too long ago, diesel was the elixir of life for Volvo. The majority of all new Volvos still had a diesel engine in 2019. "Volvo's decision to phase out diesels completely by early 2024 illustrates how quickly both the automotive industry and customer demand are changing in the face of the climate crisis," the brand said in a press release.

Volvo is not going to miss the diesel

Twenty years ago, Volvo thought very differently about the diesel engine. In 2002, Volvo introduced its first in-house developed diesel engine. The brand said at the time: 'A competitive diesel engine is nothing other than a way to survive in Europe.' Nine years later, Volvo launched the first plug-in hybrid with a diesel engine.

Volvo boss Jim Rowan says: 'Electric powertrains are our future and superior to combustion engines: they produce less noise, less vibration, lower maintenance costs for our customers and no exhaust fumes.' He doesn't seem very sad about the fact that a piece of the brand's history is disappearing forever.

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