2001 Volvo V70 X/c Wagon 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Volvo's $2.9 billion stock IPO is a key test in shift to EVs

Volvo Car AB is looking to raise 25 billion kronor ($2.9 billion) in a Stockholm initial public offering in a test for automakers amid the transition to electric vehicles. The Swedish carmaker, owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., is offering shares at 53 kronor to 68 kronor each (about $6-$8), according to a statement Monday.  The deal values Volvo Cars at as much as $23 billion, 11 years after the Chinese firm bought the business from Ford Motor Co. for $1.8 billion. The IPO is set to be EuropeÂ’s largest since January, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The carmaker, with an ambitious plan to only sell full electric cars by 2030, plans to use the funds to add carmaking capacity so it can nearly double annual sales to more than 1.2 million vehicles. Volvo Cars also plans to construct a battery plant in Europe. “We have a very clear strategy to be an electric company in 2030 and weÂ’ve been on that journey for some years now,” Volvo Cars CEO Hakan Samuelsson said in an interview. “With this, of course, we can secure that transformation, because of course, itÂ’s not free of charge.” VolvoÂ’s projected market capitalization of about $20 billion compares to roughly $65 billion for BMW AG, while the German premium carmaker produces more than 2 million vehicles versus Volvo CarsÂ’ 660,000 last year. Newer entrants to the industry such as ChinaÂ’s Nio Inc. and Tesla Inc. have seen their share prices surge past traditional manufacturers even as they sell only a fraction of the number of vehicles. The IPO also comes less than a month after electric-vehicle maker Polestar, controlled by Volvo Cars and Geely, said it will go public in New York via a blank-check merger. The deal implies an enterprise value of $20 billion for the startup, with Volvo Cars expecting to hold a 50% stake in Polestar after it lists. While the century-old Swedish industry stalwart and Polestar have similar valuations, 4-year-old Polestar has a target of delivering only about 29,000 cars this year. Geely previously attempted to take Volvo Cars public in 2018, but called off the listing after investors were said to balk at its valuation expectations of as much as $30 billion.  A group of pension funds and institutional investors have committed to buying 6.4 billion kronor worth of shares in the IPO. The offering of as much as 21% of Volvo Cars runs through Oct. 27, and the shares are set to start trading in Stockholm on Oct. 28. Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Autoblog's June 2019 Editors' Picks

Each year we review, test and rate hundreds of brand-new cars, trucks and SUVs. We rate these vehicles using the Autoblog score, giving a select few our Editors’ Pick. Here are the best cars we drove in June 2019. 2019 BMW 8 Series Everyone on the Autoblog staff loves a good grand tourer, so we were excited to get behind the wheel of the revived BMW 8 Series, specifically an M850i Coupe. A good GT needs to be as fast as it is stylish and comfortable, and the new 8 Series delivers. We particularly like the 523-horsepower twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8Â’s copious power and smooth ride quality, even on MichiganÂ’s pockmarked post-winter roads. We dig the interior design, too, though not everyone was in love with the exterior. ItÂ’s not the best-handling car in its class, and doesnÂ’t hide its sizable proportions very well, but itÂ’s still worth a look if youÂ’re looking for a big, fast cruiser.  2019 Ford Expedition Crossovers may be the hottest vehicles on the market, but thereÂ’s still a sizable demand for traditional body-on-frame SUVs like the Ford Expedition. These behemoths offer plenty of space in addition to truck-like capability. We like the Expedition's smooth ride, powerful twin-turbo V6 and sharp exterior design, though the interior can feel a bit cheap, especially on some of the more expensive trims. Adding options quickly puts it into Lincoln Navigator territory, and itÂ’s hard to recommend the Ford over the Lincoln when the latter packs the same capability into a far nicer package. Still, the Expedition is as good or better than the competition in most respects, and thatÂ’s why itÂ’s one of our picks. 2019 Toyota 86 Few cars at any price point are as much fun as the Toyota 86 (and its twin, the Subaru BRZ). We like the 86Â’s balanced chassis and sharp steering, and while itÂ’s not as nimble as its close rival the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the ToyotaÂ’s back seat and trunk make it a more usable vehicle. But while we like the 86Â’s driving position, the rest of the interior feels cheap and dated, especially the infotainment system. We complained about the anemic powertrain back in 2012, and itÂ’s only gotten worse as the years have gone by.

Big rig gets blown over on Wyoming freeway, flattens police cruiser

A big rig navigating a stretch of windy Wyoming highway last week was blown over by high winds and landed on a Wyoming Highway Patrol cruiser. According to CBS News, three Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers responded to an accident along Interstate 80 near Elk Mountain on February 7. While the troopers were out of their cars assisting the crash victims, a white Volvo semi-truck lumbered up I-80 toward them. Wind gusts in that part of Wyoming were clocked in at up to 90 miles per hour on Tuesday, and one of them caught the semi as it neared the parked cruisers. Video from one of the cruiser's onboard cameras showed the big rig drift to the right as a big gust hit the trailer. Slowly, the whole rig tipped over and flattened one of the parked cruisers. The truck then slid a few feet on its side and came to a stop just aft of the cruiser. None of the troopers were injured in the incident, and two people in the truck came out of it unhurt as well. Patrol Lieutenant David Wagener told KGWN that that stretch of I-80 was closed on Tuesday to lightweight, high-profile vehicles. The truck driver was cited for the incident. High winds are no joke, and vehicles getting blown around or even clean off the road is a pretty common phenomenon. Way back in 2011, a truck got blown over in Utah. Then there was a train that got blown off a bridge in Louisiana in 2015. Related Video: News Source: CBS News, KGWN Auto News Dodge Volvo Driving Safety Truck Commercial Vehicles Police/Emergency Sedan semi truck rollover wyoming