Volvo will double down on long-range plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) in the UK over the coming years, in response to slower than expected demand for pure-electric models. 

 

Speaking to Autocar, Volvo UK boss Nicole Melillo Shaw said PHEVs will continue to serve as a “stepping stone” for buyers who aren’t yet ready to take the leap into an electric car. However, Melillo Shaw noted that hybrids need to offer a very long electric-only range in order to help Volvo buyers transition smoothly to pure-EV models. 

 

“The important nuance here is not the number of hybrids we sell: it’s whether people are driving them as a hybrid rather than just as a petrol car,” said Melillo Shaw