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Next-Gen Electric Volvo and Polestar Cars to Be Powered by Sustainable Batteries

Volvo is making significant progress toward an all-electric future. Following its announcement last week that it would test and use fossil-free steel in its vehicles, the carmaker is now teaming up with Swedish battery company Northvolt to develop more sustainable batteries, which will be used to power the next-generation electric Volvo and Polestar cars.
Volvo plans to use more sustainable batteries for the next-gen electric Volvo and Polestar vehicles 6 photos
Photo: Volvo Cars
Car manufacturing at Luqiao facility in ChinaPre-production of the new Volvo S90 in the Daqing manufacturing plantVolvo's new manufacturing plant in South Carolina, U.S.Pre-production of the new Volvo XC40 in the manufacturing plant in GhentVolvo manufacturing plant in Daqing, China
While battery-powered cars are greener than their gas-burning counterparts, emissions from the manufacturing process of an EV can reach higher numbers than those coming from fossil-fuelled ones. Currently, battery production for Volvo's EVs accounts for a large amount of the car's overall lifecycle carbon emissions.

To reduce the environmental impact of battery manufacturing for future vehicles, Volvo is working with Northvolt to develop more sustainable batteries. As a first step, the two companies will open a research and development center in Sweden next year.

Setting up this new center will allow both brands to produce next-gen, state-of-the-art battery cells and vehicle integration technologies tailored to Volvo and Polestar vehicles. As part of the collaboration, a new gigafactory will also be set up in Europe with a potential capacity of up to 50 gigawatt-hours (GWh) per year.

This gigafactory will be fueled entirely by renewable energy and is expected to begin production in 2026. The location for the new factory has not been chosen yet, but what has been established is that the first vehicle to incorporate battery cells produced and developed through the joint venture will be the electric successor to Volvo's XC60 model.

In addition to the new plant, starting with 2024, Volvo also intends to source 15 GWh of battery cells per year from the current Northvolt Ett battery factory in Skellefte, Sweden.

Through this partnership with Northvolt, Volvo is seeking to speed up its electrification plans. By the middle of this decade, the automaker hopes to sell 50 percent pure electric vehicles, with the ultimate objective of being an all-electric car brand by 2030.

Further information about its future technological plan will be revealed at the Volvo Cars Tech Moment, which will be held on June 30th.
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About the author: Florina Spînu
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Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature.
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