2012 Volvo S80 - Excellent Condition Condition on 2040-cars

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Volvo might join the tide of automakers turning to hybrids and PHEVs

Volvo had been the clearest and most direct of all automakers about switching to a purely electric lineup.  Less than a year after getting the XC40 Recharge to market, on March 2, 2021, the company wrote that it "intends to only sell fully electric cars and phase out any car in its global portfolio with an internal combustion engine, including hybrids." Two years later, with the C40 on dealer lots and the EX90 and EX30 in the pipeline, CFO Bjorn Annwall removed the wiggle room of "intends" by pledging Volvo won't "sell a single car" that isn't purely electric after after 2030, emphasizing the target to Automotive News with, "There's no ifs, no buts." Problem is, there are always ifs and buts, and Volvo might be the next automaker needing a tactical retreat to deal with them. After speaking to members of Volvo's U.S. dealer body, Automotive News reports a softening of the 2030 target. The most Volvo has said publicly came from CEO Jim Rowan, who told analysts during a recent investor webcast that because the EV transformation is going to take time to scale, hybrid powertrains could "form a solid bridge for our customers that are not ready to move to full electrification." According to AN, an anonymous insider said plug-in hybrids could take the lead for the next 10 years as global governments and global markets align on electric vehicles. If this turns out to be the case, Volvo would join a strengthening trend as automakers rush to develop hybrids and PHEVs to launch in the next three years.   Volvo would also be well positioned for the turn, considering buyer sentiment to the hybrids and PHEVs it's sold for many years now. The SPA1 platform supporting every Volvo with an internal combustion engine remains sound. Given development dollars and improvements in battery technology, there's no reason Volvo couldn't ride an evolution of the architecture into the next decade, and it can also take advantage of platforms and toolkits from parent company Geely. Only a year ago, Geely and Renault agreed on a joint venture to invest 7 billion euros for researching new technologies to make non-hybrid and hybrid gas engines more efficient.  This is clearly what U.S. dealers want based on their comments to AN, one retailer going so far as to say, "We will have to [stick with hybrids], or we will die."  Short term, Volvo's enduring the same pain felt by other automakers.

Volvo XC90 First Edition sells out in 47 hours

Two days ago, Volvo opened the order books on its completely new 2015 XC90 crossover, and just like that, all of the 1,927 First Edition models were reserved in a scant 47 hours. According to Volvo, most of the vehicles were reserved within one hour of the online ordering site launching, and at its peak, seven cars were being sold each minute.
First Edition models wear a unique Onyx Black exterior, and ride on eight-spoke, 21-inch wheels. Inside, amber nappa leather covers the seats, the dashboard is lined in charcoal leather, and there are walnut inlays throughout the cabin.
Under the hood, the XC90 First Edition can be had with either a four-cylinder Drive-E gasoline or diesel engine (if you live in markets outside the US, of course). The twin-charged T6 petrol model comes with 320 horsepower, and sends its power to the ground via all-wheel drive.

Gimp Pimp and Aqua Volvo at 24 Hours of LeMons | Car Club USA

Car Club USA heads to Sonoma, CA where the Gimp Pimp Cadillac and Aqua Volvo will take on all the crazy, sub-$500 competition at the 24 Hours of LeMons endurance race. "Over the last 30 years, car racing has gotten extremely serious and extremely expensive and it just seemed like there was a real need to make it accessible again," said LeMons founder Jay Lamm. The result is a series of endurance races across the US and Australia where all you need to join the fun is a junky car and some basic safety equipment. "It's just fun, compared to pro racing," said Wendy Epstein, driver of a 1979 Volvo 242 in bright "Aqua Volvo" livery. "24 Hours of LeMons is a form of racing that is designed to be cheap and easy, and anybody can do it," said Bill Manfroy, driver of the Gimp Pimp, a 1996 Cadillac SLS with some important modifications. "Part of what makes the Gimp Pimp Cadillac so special is that it does have hand controls, so it gives access to people like me that ordinarily get to race." "Which makes it perfect for LeMons." Each Car Club USA episode features a different car club or event from across the US, where passionate owner communities gather to share automotive experiences and embark on incredible adventures. From Main Street cruises to off-road trails, catch all the latest car club activity on Autoblog. Motorsports Weird Car News Cadillac Volvo Driving Racing Vehicles Car Club USA Videos Original Video viral video