2006 Volvo Xc90 2.5t Sport Utility 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Volvo debuts new Drive-E four-cylinder engines

Volvo is introducing a new engine family based on its new Drive-E philosophy, which encompasses "all innovations made to reduce the impact on the environment," the automaker says. Less cylinders allows for less environmental impact, so the new engines are all four-pots. They also were designed to pair easily with Volvo's upcoming hybrid drive system, which "will reach power figures in the V8 territory" and play a "dominant part of the top end of [Volvo's] range," says Derek Crabb, Vice President Powertrain Engineering. Volvo also says we can expect "power curves that give exciting drivability compared with engines with more cylinders."
Volvo says some versions of the engine were designed targeting best-in-class fuel economy. There are both gasoline and diesel options, but the latter of which isn't scheduled for US consumption. Instead, the US will be offered two states of tune of the gasoline Drive-E engine for front-wheel-drive vehicles. Some of Volvo's current all-wheel-drive powertrains will remain available in the US until the company has transitioned solely to the new, fuel-efficient inline-fours.

China's Geely to add $4.6 billion battery plant in EV push

BEIJING — Geely said on Monday it would build an electric vehicle battery factory with a planned annual manufacturing capacity of 42 gigawatt hours (GWh) in China's eastern city of Ganzhou, as it expands its EV lineup in the world's biggest car market. For comparison, the Tesla-Panasonic Gigafactory in Nevada announced an expansion last fall to just under 40 gigawatt hours. The total investment in the project by Geely's technology arm will be 30 billion yuan ($4.6 billion), according to a separate statement from the local government. Geely's technology group has previously invested in Ganzhou-based EV battery maker Farasis. The planned factory comes after Geely announced a flurry of tie-ups in January aimed at turning the automaker into a leading EV contract manufacturer and engineering service provider, as it fights the incursion of EV leader Tesla. Geely, which owns Volvo Cars and a 9.7% stake in Daimler AG, is competing with Great Wall and Nio, among others. China's government has heavily promoted new energy vehicles (NEVs) — such as battery-powered, plug-in petrol-electric hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell cars — in response to chronic air pollution, spurring interest from technology companies and investors alike. China forecasts NEVs will make up 20% of its annual auto sales by 2025 from around 5% in 2020.   Green Plants/Manufacturing Volvo Electric Geely

Automakers suspend some business in Russia following invasion

These Russian GAZ Tigr infantry mobility vehicles were destroyed by Ukrainian fighters in Kharkiv on Monday. (Getty Images)   Global auto and truck makers, including Sweden's Volvo Cars and Germany's Daimler Truck, on Monday suspended some business in Russia following that country's invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces invaded Ukraine last week, marking the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War II. Many firms have idled operations in Russia following Western sanctions against Russia. Energy giant BP Plc, Russia's biggest foreign investor, abruptly announced over the weekend it was abandoning its 20% stake in state-controlled Rosneft at a cost of up to $25 billion. On Monday, Swedish automaker Volvo Cars said it would suspend car shipments to the Russian market until further notice, becoming the first international automaker to do so as sanctions over the invasion continue to bite. In a statement, the company said it had made the decision because of "potential risks associated with trading material with Russia, including the sanctions imposed by the EU and US." "Volvo Cars will not deliver any cars to the Russian market until further notice," it said. A Volvo spokesman said the carmaker exports vehicles to Russia from plants in Sweden, China and the United States. This came as Russia warned Sweden and Finland not to join NATO or risk facing “serious military-political consequences." Volvo sold around 9,000 cars in Russia in 2021, based on industry data. Earlier on Monday, RIA news agency reported Volkswagen had temporarily suspended deliveries of cars already in Russia to local dealerships, citing a company statement. VW had no immediate comment when contacted by Reuters. VW previously said it would halt production for a few days this week at two German factories after a delay in getting parts made in Ukraine. Daimler Truck said on Monday it would freeze its business activities in Russia with immediate effect, including its cooperation with Russian truck maker Kamaz. Mercedes-Benz Group is also looking into legal options to divest its 15% stake in Kamaz as quickly as possible, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported. A Mercedes spokesperson told Reuters business activities would have to be re-evaluated in light of the current events. Mercedes-Benz Group, formerly Daimler AG, was the parent company of Daimler Truck before the truck maker was spun off.