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Volvo Cars To Locally Assemble Plug-In Hybrid In India From Next Year

Volvo’s four plug-in hybrid models will build a portfolio of environment-friendly vehicles in India over the next three years.

A charging cable for a Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid automobile by Volvo Cars, is shown in this arranged photograph. (Photographer: Hannelore Foerster/Bloomberg) 
A charging cable for a Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid automobile by Volvo Cars, is shown in this arranged photograph. (Photographer: Hannelore Foerster/Bloomberg) 

Swedish automaker Volvo Cars aims to locally assemble plug-in hybrid variant of its premium SUV XC90 in India from next year, a top company official said on Thursday.

The company is gearing up to usher in four additional plug-in hybrid models in the country over the next three years as a part of its plans to build a portfolio of environment-friendly vehicles.

We are going to be the first car company to assemble plug-in hybrid cars locally in India. The first model would be introduced in the last quarter of next year. The localisation of plug-in hybrids marks the future of electrification for us.
Charles Frump, Managing Director, Volvo Car India.

The company would be rolling out the locally-assembled XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid from its Bengaluru facility. It currently imports the vehicle as completely built-up units. In a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, battery can be recharged by plugging it into an external source of electric power.

Volvo, which sells a total of ten models in India, currently assembles three models—XC 90, XC60, S90—here.

"As a responsible luxury car company, we believe electrification is the future,” Frump said. “However, till the time we have a supporting infrastructure for fully-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids offer immediate solution."

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The company will also continue to look at opportunities to introduce full battery electric vehicles in the country, he said.

Globally, Volvo Cars has announced that every vehicle it launches from 2019 will have an electric motor and is aiming to have one million electrified cars on roads by 2025.

"We expect India to be an important part of this one-million-cars target. We at Volvo firmly believe that road to full battery electric vehicles runs through plug-in hybrids," Frump said. The company has also rolled out various initiatives to generate awareness about air pollution.

The Indian government had last year said it planned to have 100 percent electric vehicles in public transport and 40 percent in personal mobility by 2030.

However, earlier this year it changed its stance and decided against formulating an electric vehicle policy saying technology should not be trapped by rules and regulations.

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