Volvo to Cease Production of Diesel Cars After 2024
Volvo announced on Tuesday, September 19, that the company will stop producing diesel cars "early in 2024," as stated during the Climate Week event in New York. This decision did not come as a surprise, as a similar plan had been revealed by the automaker, owned by Geely, back in 2017, according to Tech Crunch.
"Just four years ago, the diesel engine was our bread and butter in Europe. Since then, a lot has changed: hybrid and fully electric vehicles already accounted for more than half of all European car sales in July 2023, while diesel cars represented only 14% of sales during the same period," Volvo's statement, published on Tuesday, read.
While Volvo still manufactures cars with gasoline engines, the company pledged that it "no longer spends a single penny from our budget on research and development of new internal combustion engines."
Tesla's early focus on electric cars and the Volkswagen emissions scandal in 2015, known as "Dieselgate," were two key factors that pushed Volvo and other automakers toward this conclusion.
Former Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson stated back in 2017, "We have to recognize that Tesla has managed to offer such a car that people line up to buy. In this area, there should also be space for us, with high quality and attractive design."
The emissions manipulation scandal involving Volkswagen (also known as "Dieselgate") became widely known in 2015 when it was revealed that the automaker had used special software in the control of diesel engines to bypass German environmental standards.
The embedded software activated filters during laboratory tests, altering the engine's operation mode, significantly reducing harmful gas emissions. During regular driving, the device would deactivate the filters, resulting in emissions of harmful substances repeatedly exceeding permissible limits.
In the United States, employees of Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis initiated mass strikes due to dissatisfaction with working conditions and wage levels. Approximately 12,700 workers are participating in the strike, receiving $500 per week from the United Auto Workers fund.