Swedish automotive behemoths Volvo have announced that they will be the first manufactures in India to introduced locally-assembled plug-in hybrid vehicles in India, starting with their XC90 premium SUV. The first plug-in hybrid XC90 will roll of the brand’s Bengaluru-based production line at 2019 end, and mark the start of a complete phasing-out process of pure combustion engines from the Volvo stable.
Charles Frump – Managing Director, Volvo Car India spoke regarding this big move towards electrification, he said, “The localization of plug-in hybrids marks the future of electrification for us. Our customers are increasingly becoming aware about the rise in pollution levels and degrading environment. As a responsible luxury car company, we believe electrification is the future. However, till the time we have a supporting infrastructure, plug-in hybrids offer the intermediate solution.
“The #BreatheFree initiative provides us the impetus to take the lead in generating awareness about the air quality. I am extremely pleased at the performance of the initiative and we are looking at taking this to the next level in the future.”
It is great to see a manufacturer to take a positive initiative such as this in order to help control pollution in India.