Volvo to offer hybrid variants of all future models

The company has experienced better-than-expected demand for its current hybrid models.

A Volvo executive has confirmed plans to offer hybrid powertrains across the company's entire lineup.

The company has experienced better-than-expected demand for existing hybrid models. The technology consequently takes higher priority as the Swedish automaker works to revamp its entire product portfolio over the next three years.

"We were planning on a three-five per cent take rate of [the XC90 T8 hybrid]," Volvo UK managing director Nick Connor told Auto Express, referring to UK sales. "But our current rate on sold orders is over 20 per cent. We underestimated it."

The company is preparing to unveil two plug-in hybrids, including the S60L Twin Engine, next week in Shanghai. The sedan pairs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor on the rear axle, for a combined output of 306 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque. The electric motor can be used to drive for up to 32 miles on electricity alone. A similar system is available in the more powerful XC90 Excellence.

It is unclear if Connor's comments refer just to the European market or include the US as well. The S60L will be sold in North America, but the company has no immediate plans to include the Twin Engine variant.

The company early this year claimed to be ready to offer fully electric models, which are already under development and waiting for the right market conditions. The automaker will continue to focus on plug-in hybrids in the meantime, likely waiting for a significant drop in battery prices before bringing EVs to market.