Dieselgate triggered the domino effect. Automakers have been phasing out diesels for the past eight years, and the roll is far from over. The time has come for Volvo to do the same. The carmaker manufactured its last diesel-powered car in early February and is getting ready to go all electric before the end of the decade.
Volvo announced that it would phase out diesel engines in September 2023 during Climate Week NYC. The time has come to say goodbye to its most fuel-efficient powertrains after a 45-year relationship.
The plant in Ghent, Belgium, rolled off the production line its final diesel-powered car, a Volvo V60, on a Thursday in early February. Just the other day, the plant in Torslanda, Sweden, produced its last XC90 SUV with a diesel engine. "We've built our last diesel car," Volvo says and almost seems to regret it. It does make sense.
But it is one more step toward an all-electric lineup, a deadline that Volvo set for 2030. With less than six years to go, the Northern brand also targets net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
Versatile. Efficient. Reliable. Those are the labels that describe diesels in general. The diesel engine meant a great deal to Volvo over the years, making sales figures skyrocket in an era when Dieselgate was not even an issue. "Only five years ago, the diesel engine was our bread and butter in Europe," Volvo recalls.
Photo: Volvo Cars
Furthermore, diesel-powered cars accounted for the majority of the sales numbers across the Old Continent in 2019. Back then, EVs were just starting to gain traction, slowly overcoming the ICE-biased conception.
Developing new diesel engines is more expensive than phasing them out
However, in the past decade, the automotive world has been shifting to electrification in a global attempt to reduce worldwide pollution. Stricter emission regulations forced carmakers to reduce emissions level in their lineups.
Developing new clean diesel engines would have been significantly more expensive than completely phasing them out despite the impressive sales figures that they were credited with.
Things have changed along the way and right now, electric cars take up most of the Volvo sales. In 2023, the carmaker marked a 70 percent increase in fully electric cars, with a global market share increase of 34 percent.
Volvo still sells plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid models as a transition to the future zero-emission portfolio.
The Volvo diesel engines over the years.
Volvo introduced its first-ever diesel car in 1979 in the shape of 244 GL D6. It was the world's first six-cylinder diesel engine for passenger cars. It was a blessing for taxi drivers and long-haul travelers.
Proving its efficiency, versatility, and reliability, the diesel engine starts to gain momentum. So Volvo rolls out its first self-built diesel under the hood of the then-new V70. Its popularity soon skyrocketed.
The powertrain plant in Skovde, Sweden, manufactured several versions of the unit. The S60 Challenge race car got the exact same diesel with racing-specific tuning.
Photo: Volvo Cars
Furthermore, Volvo Penta decided to build a marine version of the power plant to take out at sea.
The company launched the Drive-E lineup in 2008, which came with the 1.6-liter diesel engines. Back then, Volvo was saying that “with the sun on your face and the wind at your back, you can go 1,300 kilometers on a single tank.” That year, 95% of the XC90 sold were powered by diesel engines.
Volvo rolled out the first plug-in hybrid with a diesel engine in 2012
Four years later, the Volvo V60 D6 plug-in hybrid arrived as the world's first plug-in hybrid integrating a diesel engine. The automaker called it “the most technologically advanced model ever” and described it as an electric, hybrid, and muscle car all at once.
The V60 D6 plug-in hybrid could drive as far as 50 kilometers on electric power only, while having a total range of up to 1,000 kilometers. The ICE generated 215 horsepower, while the electric motor added 70 more for an acceleration from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 6.2 seconds.
Volvo launched another self-built diesel engine family in 2013, the Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA), which combined higher injection pressure and the innovative i-ART technology.
It brought extra oomph, better fuel efficiency, and lower emissions. The XC90 was one of the models that received it and is still powered by it today. Was. The unit is also present in the V60 lineup.
Photo: Volvo Cars
But the premium carmaker made a critical decision back in 2023. It sold its stake in Aurobay, the combustion engine joint venture company that Volvo used to own in partnership with Geely Holding. This means that there will be no more ICE development in the future.
Volvo has recently launched the EX30 electric crossover, while the EX90 electric SUV is finally set to hit the market.
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