Volvo the most recent to backtrack on EV pledge

• Volvo now not expects to be a 100% EV brand by 2030
• Volvo currently goals to have 90-100% of its sales made up of each EVs and plug-in hybrids by 2030
• Volvo remains to be committed to EVs and has five currently within the pipeline

Volvo has joined a growing list of automakers curtailing their EV ambitions within the wake of lower than expected growth in demand for the vehicles.

Volvo in 2021 said it planned to exclusively sell EVs by 2030, but on Wednesday the automaker said it now goals for 90-100% of its sales to be made up by a combination of EVs and plug-in hybrids by that date.

It means Volvo should be selling gas cars by 2030, though these will only be 10% or less of total sales, and they’ll all be mild-hybrids, the automaker said.

Volvo also said its long-term goal stays becoming a 100% EV brand. The automaker can also be readying five additional EVs at present, including a midsize sedan to be called the ES90.

The five recent EVs, plus the five Volvo already sells, means the automaker could have a full EV lineup and be able to be a pure EV brand should the market situation change, the automaker said.

Volvo was among the many first of the legacy automakers to totally commit to electrification when in 2017 it said its entire lineup would consist purely of mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and EVs by 2020. In 2021, it made its commitment to change into an EV brand by 2030.

Nonetheless, growth in EV demand has been slowing while the alternative has been the case for plug-in hybrids in lots of markets. Automakers like Cadillac, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche have also recently backtracked on their EV plans, and are investing in recent gas and plug-in hybrid models for the following decade.

The shift at Volvo is not an enormous surprise as dealers, particularly within the U.S., have been pleading to maintain plug-in hybrids within the lineup. CEO Jim Rowan also told Automotive News in July that mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains are an excellent bridging technology for purchasers not able to make a switch to an EV, and that Volvo will proceed to take a position within the technology. The automaker also on Wednesday unveiled an updated XC90 featuring mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains.