Volvo to stop making petrol cars, and go completely electric by 2019.

[bob10]

Volvo is going electric and will cease production of petrol cars in 2019 (http://www.msn.com/en-au/motoring/news/volvo-is-going-electric-and-will-cease-production-of-petrol-cars-in-2019/ar-BBDOXFq?li=AA8ewQ&ocid=spartandhp)

[Tins]

Volvo is going electric and will cease production of petrol cars in 2019 (http://www.msn.com/en-au/motoring/news/volvo-is-going-electric-and-will-cease-production-of-petrol-cars-in-2019/ar-BBDOXFq?li=AA8ewQ&ocid=spartandhp)

Headline is a furphy. They will move to Hybrids. Plenty of petrol engines there. They 'plan' to go full electric by 2040. That's a fair way off.

That said, Volvo have been at the forefront of many motoring innovations, most notably safety, being the first manufacturer to develop and install seat belts, amongst other things. These days, though, Volvo are a pipsqueak part pf their Chinese owners portfolio. Whether this will still be one of their goals in five years remains to be seen.

[bob10]

Some all electric cars by 2019/21, apparently.

Volvo: Car manufacturer goes electric, ditches vehicles powered solely by internal combustion engine - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-06/volvo-goes-electric,-ditches-cars-powered-solely-by-gas/8683850)

[Tins]

Sorry, Bob, but the ABC has it's own agenda in reporting things of this nature, IMO. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of more objective reports out there. These two actually support the ABC to a point, and are worth a read. Not all the others do. Most of them say what I said: Hybrid will be a major part of this "advance".

https://www.wired.com/story/volvos-electric-car-plan/

Volvo to Go All-Electric Starting in 2019 - The Atlantic (https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/07/volvos-electric-future/532659/)

Do you see how flaky this all is? All of Europe championed Diesel, until VW got caught beating a test. Now, it's going to be banned. Just how long does anyone think Governments will last doing this sort of thing?

[Mick_Marsh]

Volvo have been at the forefront of many motoring innovations, most notably safety, being the first manufacturer to develop and install seat belts, amongst other things.
Volvo introduced seat belts as standard equipment in 1959. SAAB beat Volvo by introducing them as standard equipment in 1958. Nash was the first to introduce seat belts as an option in 1949 and Ford in 1955.

[Eevo]

is the consumer demand there?

[bee utey]

is the consumer demand there?

If their hybrid's economy reaches that of the diesels they'll sell like hot cakes. If cities ban diesel and then petrol cars they'll sell like hot cakes, assuming the hybrids have enough range to cross a ban zone on electric power alone. I'm sure that manufacturers and administrations are having long talks on the subject.

[Mick_Marsh]

is the consumer demand there?
Volvo is a spent force. Their sales in Aus is bugger all.

They might be trying to find a new market niche. With South Australia's power being the highest costing in the world, and the other states trying to catch up, I'm tipping the sales of Volvo will flop even more.
There are plenty of Mustangs getting about, though. Not as many as Kias, but lots.

[Mick_Marsh]

If cities ban diesel and then petrol cars they'll sell like hot cakes,
Yep, that's the only way they'll sell. Ban the competition.

[bee utey]

Yep, that's the only way they'll sell. Ban the competition.

Why's that? Volvo is a niche manufacturer with 100K sales a year and is only one European manufacturer amongst many who are all going to do the same kind of thing. They don't really give a stuff what a few Aussie petrol heads think of them.

[Tins]

Why's that? Volvo is a niche manufacturer with 100K sales a year and is only one European manufacturer amongst many who are all going to do the same kind of thing. They don't really give a stuff what a few Aussie petrol heads think of them.

Conveniently missing the "cities banning diesel" thing, I notice.

[bee utey]

Conveniently missing the "cities banning diesel" thing, I notice.

I believe it's mentioned in my previous post. Want me to repeat it for easier comprehension?

[Tins]

I believe it's mentioned in my previous post. Want me to repeat it for easier comprehension?

Yes please. Just that bit, thanks. Without the sarc, if possible.

[bee utey]

An interesting article on the subject of banning diesels and taxing older diesels. The comments section is full of poo flinging trolls too. Enjoy.

Diesel ban? Clean Air Zone expansion could see diesel cars charged to enter UK cities | Auto Express (http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/98747/diesel-ban-clean-air-zone-expansion-could-see-diesel-cars-charged-to)

[Tins]

Any city, no materr who they are, who has 95% petrol or diesel as their main fuel, will suffer when they try to mandate that their citizens ditch those fuels. Even the idiots who supported the EU are beginning to understand that. Pity the same can't be said here. Far too many smart a&@&$& here with agendas, IMO.

I wonder how those who make comments here justify their existence fixing and modifying petrol and diesel 4WDs, as they clearly do. You believe in your gods, or you don't. But we have some here who play both sides. I call you hypocrites, and you know who you are. All the time championing alternatives, but making your money on conventionals.

Choose, or shut up.

Just saying.

[bee utey]

Cities wanting to look after the health of their citizens, what a terrible thing to contemplate.

[Eevo]

they could start by banning smoking

[rangieman]

Why's that? Volvo is a niche manufacturer with 100K sales a year and is only one European manufacturer amongst many who are all going to do the same kind of thing. They don't really give a stuff what a few Aussie petrol heads think of them.
A niche manufacturer who owns them [bigwhistle]
Volvo Cars - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_Cars)[wink11]
Another Chinese owned car Manufacturer
My guess they will go the same way as the Niche manufacturers we had in OZ [bigrolf].

[bee utey]

A niche manufacturer who owns them [bigwhistle]
Volvo Cars - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_Cars)[wink11]
Another Chinese owned car Manufacturer
My guess they will go the same way as the Niche manufacturers we had in OZ [bigrolf].

Lemme think, what's another niche manufacturer currently owned by an Asian corporation? Land Rover? How are they placed within their new ownership? "My guess they will go the same way as the Niche manufacturers we had in OZ" [bigwhistle]

[bee utey]

they could start by banning smoking

By infernal combustion engines.

[101RRS]

France to ban the sale of Petrol and Diesel vehicles by 2040

France moves to ban petrol and diesel cars in a bid to meet Paris agreement targets - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-07/france-moves-to-ban-petrol-and-diesel-cars/8686944)

[biggin]

Good! There'll be more for us. Not that I will care by then.

[Mick_Marsh]

Lemme think, what's another niche manufacturer currently owned by an Asian corporation? Land Rover? How are they placed within their new ownership? "My guess they will go the same way as the Niche manufacturers we had in OZ" [bigwhistle]
I look forward to reading the articles in the 4wd magazines depicting how the adventurers drove from battery dump to battery dump on the Canning.

[bee utey]

I look forward to reading the articles in the 4wd magazines depicting how the adventurers drove from battery dump to battery dump on the Canning.

So you should, if you live long enough.

Should be a doddle even now with a hybrid drive train. Then pack a roll of flexy solar panels as a range extender for grey nomads not in a hurry. Fit out your "battery dumps" with enough solar panels to keep the batteries full between customers. Every container of batteries can support a comms tower to keep up your wi-fi while you "rough it".

(Dear Diary, camped for a couple of days at a beautiful water hole, put 10kWh back into the pack. Free energy FTW!)

[bob10]

Sorry, Bob, but the ABC has it's own agenda in reporting things of this nature, IMO. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of more objective reports out there. These two actually support the ABC to a point, and are worth a read. Not all the others do. Most of them say what I said: Hybrid will be a major part of this "advance".

https://www.wired.com/story/volvos-electric-car-plan/

Volvo to Go All-Electric Starting in 2019 - The Atlantic (https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/07/volvos-electric-future/532659/)

Do you see how flaky this all is? All of Europe championed Diesel, until VW got caught beating a test. Now, it's going to be banned. Just how long does anyone think Governments will last doing this sort of thing?

Yeah, really hard to know what to believe, really. I agree with you about hybrid, to a point. Pure electric doesn't have, IMO, the technology to go alone right now. It has to be hybrid until they work it out. All this is wonderful for Europe, but for Aus. with our huge area and not so good roads, not so sure.

[bob10]

I look forward to reading the articles in the 4wd magazines depicting how the adventurers drove from battery dump to battery dump on the Canning.

I think we now have a use for the thousands of camels in the desert of Aus., we wont have recovery points, it will be camel connections.

[bob10]

The story of the day Tesla shocked the World.

'Do you want to see the car?': The story of the day that Tesla stunned the world (http://www.msn.com/en-au/motoring/research/do-you-want-to-see-the-car-the-story-of-the-day-that-tesla-stunned-the-world/ar-BBE0bLV?li=AA8ewQ&ocid=spartandhp)