Pretty Bold Talk From Volvo

[Bruzilla]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/volvo-to-phase-out-conventional-car-engine-1499227202

Volvo Plans to Go Electric, to Abandon Conventional Car Engine by 2019
CEO reiterates target of selling one million electric cars and hybrids by 2025
"For Volvo the internal combustion engine has run its course.

"In the face of competition from upstarts like Tesla Inc., which begins production this week of its new mass-market Model 3 electric battery-powered family car, the Chinese-owned automotive group on Wednesday said all new Volvo models from 2019 would be either fully electric or a hybrid.

"Volvo is the first major auto maker to abandon the technology that has powered the industry for more than a century. Hakan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars, said in a statement that the move “marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car,” reiterating his target of selling one million electric cars and hybrids by 2025. “When we said it, we meant it. This is how we are going to do it.”

Really? At a rime when consumers are demanding more and more power, and auto makers are dumping low-cost poop boxes that "get great mileage", Volvo has decided to turn the clock back ten years and say electric is the future and internal combustion is dead.

I doubt this policy is going to last for long.

 

[Richard Cranium]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/volvo-to-phase-out-conventional-car-engine-1499227202



I doubt this policy is going to last for long.

Agreed.

 

[Pops1967GTX]

Low gasoline prices will hurt the sales of hybrid & battery cars...In NYC "Manhattan" there are only a few recharging stations for electric cars & most of them are locate at Hotels....

 

[Dennis H]

Don't CARE.

 

[Bladecutter]

Batteries are pollution X 2. The manufacturing & disposal of. It's all stupid in light of the fact that Honda made an absolute clean burning combustible engine some time ago. The green of electrics is a scam to appease the libs. IMO

 

[ws23jrt]

Where will all these coal powered cars fill up?

 

[super-bee_ski]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/volvo-to-phase-out-conventional-car-engine-1499227202

Volvo Plans to Go Electric, to Abandon Conventional Car Engine by 2019
CEO reiterates target of selling one million electric cars and hybrids by 2025
"For Volvo the internal combustion engine has run its course.

"In the face of competition from upstarts like Tesla Inc., which begins production this week of its new mass-market Model 3 electric battery-powered family car, the Chinese-owned automotive group on Wednesday said all new Volvo models from 2019 would be either fully electric or a hybrid.

"Volvo is the first major auto maker to abandon the technology that has powered the industry for more than a century. Hakan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars, said in a statement that the move “marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car,” reiterating his target of selling one million electric cars and hybrids by 2025. “When we said it, we meant it. This is how we are going to do it.”

Really? At a rime when consumers are demanding more and more power, and auto makers are dumping low-cost poop boxes that "get great mileage", Volvo has decided to turn the clock back ten years and say electric is the future and internal combustion is dead.

I doubt this policy is going to last for long.

I think ALL internal combustion Gasoline engines will be phased out by 2050
Not diesel

 

[Bladecutter]

I think the Human race will phase itself out before 2050.

 

[1967coronet440]

I think Volvo will be filing for bankruptcy by 2020

 

[Qbrozen]

The title of the article is certainly misleading. Hybrids don't "abandon" the conventional car engine.

 

[SlinktRR]

Volvo is way behind Chevrolet of all people. The volt and the bolt have solid tech but the sales are modest because the infrastructure is not there for electric, same as it was when Thomas Edison managed to put up a handful of car charging stations back in the 1900s.

My job just put in a charging station though so I may consider it. Free commuting would be nice.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Who pays for the electricity at a charging station? Is a federal or state roadway tax paid?
If the general public's flipping the bill shame shame.
Just some more free ride BS.

 

[Photon440]

On the other hand, Toyota has already sold over 6 million hybrids but isn't planning to phase out their gas only line just yet. Maybe Volvo should find out why.

 

[Bruzilla]

The title of the article is certainly misleading. Hybrids don't "abandon" the conventional car engine.

In a way they do. The conventional internal combustion engine is designed to provide enough power to move a vehicle. Hybrids use an internal combustion engine that is only designed to provide a charge to the car and it does not move a vehicle. The electric motor does that.

 

[Bruzilla]

I think for us old timers, the excitement with hybrids should remind us of the release of the Wankel rotary engine back in the 70s. Remember that hoopla? That was the end of the reciprocating engine for sure! Everyone was gonna be driving a car with a rotary engine before the end of the decade! Then the long-term results started coming in, and folks found out centrifugal forces doomed a rotary engine over time, and that was the end of that "revolution".

Hybrids/electrics will go the same way as batteries prove that no matter how well designed/made they are, their ability to function steadily deceases over time.

 

[Photon440]

In a way they do. The conventional internal combustion engine is designed to provide enough power to move a vehicle. Hybrids use an internal combustion engine that is only designed to provide a charge to the car and it does not move a vehicle. The electric motor does that.

Depending on the type of hybrid. My wife's RX400H uses the gas engine all the time, it does most of the work. The gas engine shuts off when stationary, decelerating or light throttle driving under 40mph but instantly kicks in as needed; it has more power than the two electric motors. The gas engine is connected to the front wheels with a CVT.

 

[Dennis H]

Taxpayers should not be subsidizing the Chevy Jolts. Or the Teslas. That's bullshit. Let the market do its thing.

 

[Richard Cranium]

At a half a million per year, who else buys Volvos other than yuppie soccer moms?

"Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has reported a third consecutive year of record sales in 2016, increasing 6.2 percent compared to 2015 to 534,332 cars, underlining the breadth and depth of the company’s ongoing global transformation."

 

[Bb70charger500]

There was a little Honda back in the 80's that got close to 100miles to the gal. It was just as slow and boring as a hybrid car why not just bring it back .

 

[Cranky]

I think for us old timers, the excitement with hybrids should remind us of the release of the Wankel rotary engine back in the 70s. Remember that hoopla? That was the end of the reciprocating engine for sure! Everyone was gonna be driving a car with a rotary engine before the end of the decade! Then the long-term results started coming in, and folks found out centrifugal forces doomed a rotary engine over time, and that was the end of that "revolution".

Hybrids/electrics will go the same way as batteries prove that no matter how well designed/made they are, their ability to function steadily deceases over time.

Ever heard a Wankel with a header on it? Not sure if it was just straight piped but the guy said it had a header but it was loud. Some AF captain came on base through the back gate late one night and I just happened to be on it so I stopped him. Heck, you could hear it coming well before you could see it and I wanted to know what it was. He was trying to be subtle and was taking it real easy but that wasn't doing any good at all. He was nervous at first so I told him to relax and that I just wanted to know what was making all the noise but then told him he would get no ticket from me if he hammered it when he left....and he did. He stayed in it for a good 1/8 mile or more and the sound wasn't dissipating at all.