VOLVO BECOMES LATEST CARMAKER TO SCALE BACK ELECTRIC AMBITIONS EASES GOAL TO AT LEAST 90% BY 2030

Sweden-based Volvo Cars has eased off on its pledge to stop selling cars with internal combustion motors by 2030, saying slow rollout of places to charge up and withdrawal of purchase incentives will leave room for a few cars that still need fossil fuels.

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Volvo Cars, part of China’s Geely Holding, now foresees a model lineup at the end of the decade that’s at least 90% electric cars and has widened that to include both battery-only and plug-in hybrids that combine battery power with an internal combustion engine.

On top of that, up to 10% could be a “limited number” of mild hybrids, which mainly run on internal combustion and store electric power from braking in a 48-volt battery to assist acceleration and improve fuel economy.

The company said it was adjusting to “changing market conditions and customer demands.”