Business

Emissions Scandal Pushes Automakers To Electric Cars

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Steve Birr Vice Reporter
Font Size:

The Volkswagen emissions scandal cast a dark shadow on the use of clean diesel technology, prompting a shift in the industry toward electric.

Volvo announced Thursday it plans on releasing an electric model by 2019, and will start producing hybrid versions of all its new vehicles. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen’s recent troubles may have opened a window for other automakers to distinguish themselves in electric technology.

Volvo will convert its current 90 and 60 series cars into plug-in hybrids. This pivot will begin its expansion of hybrid models, as it makes a shift toward green technology, reports The Wall Street Journal. In what the company is dubbing their “electrification strategy,” they hope to revamp their entire line-up with hybrid versions in the next four years.

Hakan Samuelsson, chief executive of Volvo Cars said in a statement, “We believe that the time has come for electrified cars to cease being a niche technology and enter the mainstream. We are confident that in two years’ time, 10% of Volvo’s global sales will be electrified cars.”

Volvo’s all-electric model is slated to hit the market in 2019, marking what the company hopes will be a new era in electric vehicle technology.

Henrik Green, head of product strategy and vehicle-line management, said Volvo’s electric model will represent, “a start for the future car business,” reports Bloomberg. “I believe that our first electric car will just be a first electric car, it’s not a one-off, it’s not a show-off car, it’s not to beat someone in particular. That’s where we’re going.”

Follow Steve on Twitter

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.