Has Volvo turned into one of the more progressive-thinking automakers in the world? While it may be a little premature for that, the Swedish automaker continues to make a strong case that it has left behind its old dormant ways in favor of a more aggressive approach towards future sustainability. Proof of that lies with the company’s new three-cylinder “T5” plug-in hybrid engine, which is one of the first of a new generation of high-efficiency gas hybrids that will hit the market when the new Volvo XC40 arrives. Volvo’s plan is to eventually use this engine on lower and middle tier models, and according to CEO Hakan Samuelsson, this new engine type could become popular enough in various formats to effectively replace diesel engines.
It’s a bold statement that fits into Volvo’s new-found bravado in the automotive industry. It also could turn into an accurate statement if emissions standards throughout the world become tougher, it would become more difficult for a lot of automakers to justify the use of diesel engines when a better alternative is already available. Samuelsson added that the T5 gas-hybrid engine “offers much lower CO2 levels but more or less the same performance in both horsepower and torque.” If the engine lives up to Volvo’s expectations, it could pave the way for the company to phase out diesel engines all together.
A big part of that will depend on the T5 engine’s emissions and economy data, and while the company has yet to release the details of those figures, it did say it expects the engine to emit less than 95g/km in European testing. That number would not only bring tax benefits in a lot of countries, but it could also be used as the official Euro target for fleet-average emissions.
That said, Samuelsson resisted on making any bold proclamations since that scenario isn’t a certainty yet. But it could happen, and as a company, Volvo is preparing for all the possibilities.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
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