- The brand acknowledges it could build a compelling electric estate but isn’t sure there’d be enough demand for it.
- Volvo UK’s managing director said they will have a clearer idea on the vehicle’s future early next year.
While three months ago Volvo backed away from its commitment to go electric-only by 2030, it continues to invest heavily in the EV space and will grow its range. However, it remains undecided on whether or not it should release an all-electric estate that could compete with the likes of the BMW i5 Touring, Audi A6 e-tron, and VW ID.7 Tourer.
There have been some hopes that Volvo would launch electric EV60 and EV90 models after these two names were trademarked a couple of years ago. The company itself has said it will launch a new model every year for the next five years, and one of these will include a new electric sedan, joining the brand’s existing EX30, EX40, and EX90 EVs. When quizzed about the possibility of an electric estate joining this range, Volvo UK managing director Nicole Shaw said no final decision has been made.
Read: Volvo Abandons EV-Only Promise, Will Sell Mix Of Powertrains Past 2030
“It’s too early to say, because it’s only December; in another quarter, I might have more of a feeling on how it’s done,” she told Auto Express. “When it comes to anything we evolve, the electric space is the one we evolve into.”
Volvo has been mulling the idea of an electric estate for quite some time. Last year, chief executive Jim Rowan said the brand could absolutely make a compelling electric estate, but noted it would have to make business sense, and with estate sales declining, that could be difficult.
“I get so many emails asking me when somebody is going to do a proper electric wagon – mainly from people in northern Europe and Maine! But then you say, ‘What if we did that?’ and ask ‘What if we did a Cross Country version of it?’. Would that be something that would work in our portfolio?” he said.
“The point really is whether we should do it – is there enough margin there, is there enough demand for that car? Are people really going to say, ‘Okay, I’d rather have a nicely designed wagon than choose a sedan [saloon] or an SUV’? Do we think the market is going to move back into that area? Because demand for estate cars and saloons has gone down in Europe. It’s a decision that we need to make, and we need to make it with the market intelligence that we have.”
At the forefront of Volvo’s mind at the moment is the upcoming ES90 electric sedan. This new model will be unveiled in March 2025 and is expected to use the same SPA2 platform as the EX90 SUV. The ES90 may also be equipped with the same 111 kWh battery pack and offer similar dual-motor powertrain setups producing 402 hp and 510 hp.
