Volvo to end production of diesel cars within months – but has already ditched them from its UK line-up

Swedish car giant Volvo has confirmed this week it will end production of diesel models by early-2024 as it heads towards becoming an all-electric brand.

‘In a few months from now, the last diesel-powered Volvo car will have been built, making Volvo Cars one of the first legacy car makers to take this step,’ the Swedish company said in a statement.

However, while other countries will be able to snap-up a new diesel Volvo between now and the start of the new year, Britons will struggle to get their hands on one today.

That’s because all diesel engine options have already been scrubbed from the car maker’s vehicle line-up.

Volvo has confirmed it will be the first ‘legacy’ car maker to end the production of diesel cars from early next year. But Britons will struggle to get their hands on a new diesel Volvo already…

Majority owned by China’s Geely, Volvo in 2021 set a line in the sand with a commitment to going fully electric by 2030.

However, since then it has gradually been reducing diesel engine options across its thinning model range. 

While a majority of the cars Volvo sold in Europe were diesel as recently as 2019, in 2022 they made up just 8.9 per cent of its total sales.

In August 33 per cent of Volvo’s sales were fully-electric or hybrid models. 

However, the company did not break out how many of the remaining 67 per cent combustion-engine models were diesel and how many ran on petrol.

And while customers in other markets might still be able to get their hands on the last batch of diesel Volvos being made, Britons won’t.

According to Autocar, the Swedish company has already quietly ditched the last of its diesel models from its UK line-up from the beginning of September.

It means Volvo buyers can now only get their hands on a full-electric, plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid petrol model. 

The brand made its announcement regarding the termination of diesels on Tuesday at Climate Week NYC.

It came a day before Rishi Sunak confirmed he will postpone the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars by five years from 2030 to 2035.

With the deadline now moved, it means Volvo will pre-empt the outlawing of new diesel cars by 11 years. 

Autocar says Volvo has already removed all diesel powertrain options from its UK line-up from the start of this month, meaning fans of oil-burning cars will have to look elsewhere

‘Electric powertrains are our future, and superior to combustion engines: they generate less noise, less vibration, less servicing costs for our customers and zero tailpipe emissions,’ explained Jim Rowan, chief executive.

‘We’re fully focused on creating a broad portfolio of premium, fully electric cars that deliver on everything our customers expect from a Volvo – and are a key part of our response to climate change.’

Volvo’s announcement comes just a month after it confirmed it had scrubbed all saloon and estate models from its UK line-up of cars.

In a statement issued to This is Money, Volvo said: ‘We continue to rapidly transform our product offer, which means not only moving towards full electrification, but also shifting to new platforms and technologies across all our cars. 

‘We will naturally need to evolve and consolidate our line-up as we prioritise fully electric cars and make this technological transition. 

‘As a result, we have removed further models from the UK line-up. These include the S60, V60 and V90.’

In a tweet, the company added: ‘Saloons and estates will still be available to police forces and other emergency services in the UK, though.’ 

With capacious estate cars being the brand’s bread and butter for generations gone by, the decision is likely to rile some Volvo enthusiasts.

Volvo’s announcement comes just a month after it confirmed it had scrubbed all saloon and estate models from its UK line-up of cars and now only sells SUV models. None will come with a diesel engine, though

Volvo made its announcement on Tuesday at Climate Week NYC, a day before PM Rishi Sunak confirmed the postponement the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035. With the deadline moved, Volvo pre-empts the outlawing of new diesel cars by 11 years

The decision has been made due to the company wanting to ‘prioritise fully electric cars’, the increased demand for larger SUV models and shrinking appetite for the more traditional vehicle segments.

Speaking this week, the company says it has gone ‘all-in on electrification because it’s the right thing to do’ due to the ‘urgency of the climate emergency’.

Rowan added: ‘What the world needs now, at this critical time for our planet and humanity, is leadership. 

‘It is high time for industry and political leaders to be strong and decisive, and deliver meaningful policies and actions to fight climate change. 

‘We’re committed to doing our part and encourage our peers as well as political leaders around the globe to do theirs.’

Sales of diesel models have declined rapidly in Europe since Volkswagen’s emission-cheating scandal and carmakers have been gradually reducing the number of diesel models available in their model line-ups.

Diesel vehicles comprised more than 50 per cent of the UK’s new car sales a decade ago, but accounted for just 8.8 per cent in 2023 so far (to the end of August).

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk