Over the last couple of weeks, the conversation in Europe has revolved around the upcoming ban on combustion engines. It has now been agreed that 2035 is the deadline for a 100% ban on the combustion engine, although lawmakers have also noted that synthetic fuel is not off the table as an alternative to EVs. This sort of thing appears to be good news for automakers that have invested heavily in full-scale electrification, among which is Volvo. The Swedish automaker's product lineup is proliferated with electrified vehicles like the XC90 Recharge, but it still offers a great number of pure combustion vehicles too. So why has it just announced that it will leave Europe's biggest automotive lobbying group, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA)?
Well, Volvo has announced that it will be fully electric by 2030, five years before the combustion ban is to come into effect, and the ACEA has been a vocal source of opposition to this ban. In fact, the ACEA (which includes members such as BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes, Toyota, and Volkswagen) responded to the news of the 2035 deadline being approved by the European Parliament last month by saying that "any long-term regulation going beyond this decade is premature at this early stage." But Volvo, which has continually launched its own initiatives to make cars cleaner and greener, has put its support behind the ban and is resolute in its ambition to go all-electric. Moreover, it has now distanced itself from its European brethren.
Thus, the Swedish automaker announced that it will be departing the ACEA by the end of this year, saying in a statement, "we have concluded that Volvo Cars' sustainability strategy and ambitions are not fully aligned with ACEA's positioning and way of working at this stage." Essentially, it feels that the ACEA is not doing enough. "We, therefore, believe it is better to take a different path for now. What we do as a sector will play a major role in deciding whether the world has a fighting chance to curb climate change."
Volvo is the latest to leave the ACEA after Stellantis announced that it too would leave by the end of 2022.