Volvo held a dealer conference in Miami on Wednesday and told some 800 attendees all about its plans for the near future that include seven new electrified vehicles of which five will be all-electric. They also detailed plans to scale up production and what kind of technology will find its way into these new vehicles.
Speaking to Autonews, an unnamed source who said they were at the conference laid out many of the brand’s aspirations and they center around the electrification of the entire lineup by 2030. The first all-electric product should resemble the Concept Recharge unveiled in 2021 and could actually go into production later this year for the 2023 model year.
According to the source, Volvo told dealers that they hoped to sell 20,000 units annually of that upcoming SUV. That’s just the tip of the EV iceberg though as Volvo has another crossover internally known as V546 which they hope will sell some 100,000 units each year. Positioned between the XC60 and the XC90, it’s slated for production around 2025.
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It’s also notable because it will be built at the brand’s South Carolina production facility. Project V546 will actually be the third EV built at the plant by the time it arrives in 2025. Before that, the Polestar 3 and the aforementioned Concept Recharge-inspired EV will both see production in 2023.
Volvo also revealed that an all-electric version of the XC60 and a brand new vehicle that will slot below the XC40 are in the works; moreover, it showed off redesigned versions of the S90 and XC90 plug-in hybrids. To tackle all of these new plans, Volvo will be employing an “ambitious hiring plan” which is needed because the South Carolina production facility currently operates well below its annual capacity.
According to the same source, Volvo also highlighted its upcoming “Hands-free, eyes-off” Ride Pilot driving technology. The system uses more than 24 sensors including LiDAR and ultrasonic to help the AI understand the world around it. It goes into testing this year in California and we expect to see it as a subscription-based feature offered first on the upcoming flagship electric SUV.
