Volvo Australia's decision to go electric-only by 2026 – four years ahead of its global parent company – is a powerful demonstration of Australia's electric transport potential, according to the Electric Vehicle Council.
Volvo Australia today announced that from 2026 it will only sell fully electric cars in Australia, earlier than its parent company's 2030 global target.
"Australia has been slow out of the blocks, but this announcement from Volvo shows we still have the potential to be a world leader in the transition to electric vehicles," said Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari.
"This is a truly remarkable announcement from Volvo. It shows they appreciate the momentum for EVs building in the Australian market and they see the opportunities in meeting the demand.
"Most Australians now want an electric car - the problem is a lack of supply and a lack of choice. Having Volvo plug part of this gap will make a significant difference.
"As Volvo has said today, there's no future for cars with an internal combustion engine. Australian policy makers need to internalise that fact and we need the new National Electric Vehicle Strategy to reflect it.
"The market is clearly ready to accelerate the electrification of Australia's fleet. Our state and federal governments should be doing everything they can to support this momentum.
"We have the potential to rapidly reduce pollution, shrink our carbon footprint, and end our dependence on foreign oil. Volvo gets it, our leaders should get it too."
Volvo was among the more than 100 companies that joined the Electric Vehicle Council's campaign this week, calling on the Federal Government to adopt a strong EV strategy.
One of the measures the companies want to see is a goal to have more than one million electric cars on Australian roads by 2027.
Volvo said by 2025, nearly 80 per cent of its Australian sales will be electric models. It also said it wants to sell 20,000 EVs in the country every year.
