2006 Volvo V70r Awd on 2040-cars

Auto blog

California adapts ZEV mandate with PHEVs for smaller automakers

California is the nation's largest market for zero-emissions vehicles with over 100,000 of them estimated to be on the roads there. The state's goal is to keep that number growing every year. To that end, the California Air Resources Board is now tweaking its rules in a way that might not boost ZEVs but could mean more plug-in hybrids for the Golden State. Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Volvo asked for an exemption to the state's zero-emissions vehicle mandate last year due to their relatively small development budgets compared to larger automakers. CARB denied their request but did craft a compromise, according to Automotive News. Rather than being required to offer a ZEV in the state, companies with an annual global revenue of less than $40 billion, like those in this group, may instead sell plug-in hybrids to earn ZEV credits. The companies aren't completely off the hook, though. If these plug-in hybrids don't earn enough credits, the corporations must buy them on the market to make up the difference. Automakers with popular electric models like Nissan and Tesla have made a big business through this trading system by selling their surplus to rivals. Tesla alone pocketed $51 million in the first quarter from this part of its business, according to Automotive News. The changes to the regulations also aren't set in stone, yet. CARB is meeting in 2016 and could adjust things further at that time. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Government/Legal Green Jaguar Land Rover Mazda Mitsubishi Subaru Volvo Emissions Electric Hybrid California zev credits zero emissions vehicle

Volvo Cars sees flat or lower retail sales this year

STOCKHOLM — Volvo Cars flagged a potential dip in retail sales this year after posting higher second-quarter profits. Supply problems, above all a global shortage of semiconductors, have squeezed output and retail sales in recent quarters, but Volvo said it was seeing a "marked improvement" in the stabilization of its supply chain. The Sweden-based carmaker said on Wednesday it expected full year retail deliveries to be lower or on par with 2021, while wholesale volumes will increase. "However, due to the time lag between production and retail deliveries, those improvements are not expected to result in an increase in retail sales during the calendar year," the company said. Volvo Chief Executive Jim Rowan said the company would "keep an eye on" consumer sentiment, not least due to higher inflation. "But right now demand is very strong," he said. Volvo's quarterly operating profit rose to 10.8 billion Swedish crowns ($1.06 billion) from 4.8 billion a year ago as accounting effects from the listing of high-performance automaker Polestar gave a boost. Operating earnings for the core business at Volvo Cars, majority owned by China's Geely Holding, reached 4.6 billion in the quarter. "Volvo reported a solid set of Q2 results in the light of multiple hurdles including semiconductor constraints and impact of Chinese lockdowns on demand," investment bank JPMorgan said in a note. Volvo has been a strong performer in recent years and recorded 2021 earnings that surpassed pre-pandemic levels. 

Volvo to adopt NACS port, partners with Tesla for Supercharger access

Volvo is the next automaker to announce that it’s signed an agreement with Tesla with will allow its current and future electric vehicles use of the Supercharger network. Plus, just like Ford and GM, Volvo says its new EVs from 2025 on will be equipped with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port instead of the Combined Charging System (CCS) port. This agreement makes Volvo the first European automaker to adopt TeslaÂ’s charge port and gain access to the 12,000-plus Superchargers across the U.S. Volvo says that owners of its EVs will be able to access Superchargers as early as the first half of 2024 with an adapter. For Volvo EVs built with the NACS port, Volvo says those vehicles will still be capable of charging on CCS chargers with an adapter provided by Volvo. Volvo didnÂ’t explicitly say that the Supercharger network would be integrated into its carsÂ’ native navigation system (which is just Google Maps these days), but it did say that folks will be able to use the Volvo Cars app to do so. Via the app, youÂ’ll be able to locate chargers, get real-time availability info and pay for charging sessions. “As part of our journey to becoming fully electric by 2030, we want to make life with an electric car as easy as possible,” said Jim Rowan, Volvo CEO. “One major inhibitor to more people making the shift to electric driving – a key step in making transportation more sustainable – is access to easy and convenient charging infrastructure. Today, with this agreement, weÂ’re taking a major step to remove this threshold for Volvo drivers in the United States, Canada and Mexico.” Stay tuned, as itÂ’s only a matter of time until more and more automakers make a similar decision as Ford, GM and Volvo just made. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.