{"id":586,"date":"2026-05-20T22:48:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T22:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=586"},"modified":"2026-05-20T22:48:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T22:48:07","slug":"volvo-ex60-ceo-interview-ev-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=586","title":{"rendered":"Volvo is trying to put its EV stumbles in the rearview"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Volvo once had ambitions to fully exit the gas car business<\/a>. Now it\u2019s trying to keep its tenuous foothold in the EV market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

It\u2019s not an understatement to say that Volvo\u2019s EV journey has been a bumpy one. The compact EX40 has been a consistent winner, but the Swedish brand\u2019s other EVs have been plagued with problems. The EX90 was supposed to be a bold statement for the future<\/a>, but persistent software bugs<\/a> have forced Volvo into an expensive hardware replacement. The tiny EX30 faired no better, with tariffs upending the rollout of the brand\u2019s first mass-market affordable EV, eventually leading to its discontinuation in the US<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

But now with the EX60 compact SUV<\/a>, Volvo is hoping to get its EV groove back. Volvo\u2019s top executives gathered in New York City this week to mark the new compact SUV\u2019s US debut and to celebrate the opening of orders for customer deliveries later this summer. Starting at $59,795, the next-gen EX60 will be more expensive than the regular, gas-powered XC60 crossover, which has recently become Volvo\u2019s top-selling model of all time. But it will be less expensive than the plug-in hybrid XC60, which says a lot given the popularity of hybrids these days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

But the EX60 will arrive in what is arguably the most hostile environment for EVs since their inception, thanks to the elimination of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, policy changes, and tariffs making vehicles of all types more expensive. As EV sales grow globally, the American market is in an obvious slump. But Volvo thinks the EX60\u2019s impressive traits \u2014 400 miles of range, 10\u201380 percent fast-charging in 18 minutes, and a steady stream of OTA software updates \u2014 will be enough to beat back the headwinds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"The<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Volvo EX60 bears with it all of the Swedish brand\u2019s hopes for the future.<\/em><\/figcaption>Image: Volvo<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cIs this the right time to introduce an electric car with everything you hear on the market?\u201d Volvo CEO H\u00e5kan Samuelsson said. \u201cI would say yes, because we think this car will not be electrified with subsidies or incentives. It will be electrified\u2026 because we can offer something better to consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Still, Volvo\u2019s previous plans to phase out the sale of gas guzzlers<\/a> is still evolving<\/a>. Slowing EV demand and concerns about charging infrastructure have caused some manufacturers to reconsider how quickly they can transition away from gas-powered vehicles. Volvo previously said it would stop selling internal combustion-engine vehicles by 2030, but now has no strict date. The automaker also said it will broaden its scope to include plug-in hybrids and extended-range EVs<\/a>, echoing a position across the industry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The EX60 represents a new start. Volvo started with a clean sheet , intentionally removing legacy combustion-engine assumptions from the engineering process, Volvo CTO Anders Bell said. To achieve this, the automaker rebuilt its development process around a more modern software-defined architecture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cSo all the lessons, all the polishing, all the infrastructure, all the learning stuff that has been quite painful over the last few years has now gone into the whole machinery and the whole software,\u201d Bell said<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Getting to a regular cadence for software updates will be another regular feature for the EX60. Bell said that Volvo will release major updates to customers every three months, arguing that quality improves when multiple vehicles share the same digital architecture. Bell said the EX60 already felt significantly more stable in testing than previous Volvo EVs did at the same stage of development.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

When it comes out, the EX60 will find itself in competition with the Tesla Model Y, one of the most popular vehicles on the planet, as well as a host of promising up-and-coming EVs like the Rivian R2, and BMW iX3.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cIs this the right time to introduce an electric car with everything you hear on the market?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Volvo CEO H\u00e5kan Samuelsson<\/cite><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That said, the EX60 is not intended to be a \u201cglobal\u201d car, Samuelsson said, noting that it will primarily be sold in the US and Europe. He described the global automotive industry as increasingly splitting into two separate markets: one centered around China and another around Europe and North America. And while Volvo has access to Chinese technology through its relationship with its parent company Geely, the automaker will remain focused on Western consumers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Samuelsson also hyped up the company\u2019s future hybrid models, which he said would flip the current hybrid formula of producing combustion-engine vehicles supplemented by relatively small batteries for short-distance electric driving. Volvo\u2019s new hybrids will behave primarily like EVs, while retaining a combustion engine as a backup for long trips. These EREVs could appeal strongly to American consumers who are not yet ready to transition fully to battery-electric vehicles, he argued.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Volvo\u2019s use of Android Automotive as its core vehicle operating system will also give the company a leg up over its competitors with regard to the integration of more AI features, Bell argued. This week at Google\u2019s I\/O conference, Volvo announced that the EX60 would give Gemini access to the vehicle\u2019s external cameras<\/a> so the AI chatbot could help drivers interpret lane markings and road signs. Volvo is also preparing to deploy Gemini to approximately 2.5 million vehicles dating back to model year 2020 through over-the-air software updates, he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201dWe had no idea when those cars would roll out six years ago that we\u2019re going to over-the-air update something called conversational AI to those cars in six years,\u201d Bell said. \u201cWe had no idea. That\u2019s what we\u2019re doing now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Still, Volvo\u2019s gathered executives agreed that the company\u2019s EV launches have been complicated, with Bell acknowledging that it\u2019s been a \u201cbumpy\u201d ride. The EX90 is continuing to receive software updates to help smooth out its bugginess, with the latest addressing more than 20 separate issues while introducing significant improvements to the driving experience. And in addition to the EX60, Volvo is working on a new EV that will replace the affordable EX30 in its lineup<\/a>. But overall, the company is trying to loudly project the message that it has learned its lessons and stands ready to face its competition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThe EX60 will be much more solid,\u201d said Erik Severinson, Volvo\u2019s chief commercial officer. \u201cBut also with the number of vehicles that we\u2019re going to sell, the EX60 will be so much bigger then. So more experience, more vehicles, more consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Follow topics and authors<\/strong> from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.<\/span><\/p>\n