Volvo to Become Fully Electrified by 2019

It’s electric! For Volvo, that is. The automaker plans on electrifying all of its cars by 2019.

From 2019 onwards, every new Volvo will be fully electric or a plug in hybrid, and the company also plans on releasing a range of petrol and diesel plug in hybrid and “mild hybrid” 48 volt options on all models.

The official announcement is a tad ... presumptuous.

“This is about the customer,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. “People increasingly demand electrified cars and we want to respond to our customers’ current and future needs. You can now pick and choose whichever electrified Volvo you wish.”

“This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car,” said Mr Samuelsson.

Bold, sure. But considering the magnitude of fully converting a multi-billion dollar company with a lineage spanning nearly a century to alternative energy, I applaud Volvo’s chutzpah.

The multinational conglomerate aims to sell one million electric cars by 2025, when it also hopes to have “climate-neutral manufacturing operations.”

Between this and the Volkswagon minibus going all-electric by 2020, the energy of the future is looking a whole lot more ... alternative.