With Volvo aiming to become an exclusive electric vehicle manufacturer by 2030 and expand its crossover range, this latest report shouldn’t come as a surprise. Two sources have indicated that the Swedish automaker plans to build a new electric crossover at the company’s factory in Ridgeville, South Carolina.
Reportedly, the new model, codenamed V546, is sized to fit between the replacements for the 4.69m XC60 and the 4.95m XC90 models.
The V546 will be manufactured in both the United States and China. Production in China is expected to start in late 2024 and will account for 60 percent of the model’s global production. The Ridgeville plant will begin producing the new crossover from 2025. Volvo aims to manufacture approximately 100,000 units of this new model per year.
The new crossover’s actual name is unknown, but like all new Volvo models, it will have a “given name.” The first car to benefit from this strategy is the XC90 replacement, which, according to trademark filings and reports, could bear the Embla badge.
The styling of the V546, like the XC90 replacement, will be based on the 2021 Concept Recharge.
This latest report aligns with the information that Volvo has been leaking recently.
Last month, Hakan Samuelsson, the outgoing CEO of Volvo, confirmed that the automaker is committed to manufacturing sedan and wagon models based on its next-generation car platform, although there will be fewer offerings of these traditional body styles than at present.
Samuelsson also pointed out that the company plans to expand its crossover range.
All of this makes sense given the waning popularity of sedans and wagons and the seemingly unstoppable momentum of crossovers.
