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Volvo expects a momentum shift in the US, with two new electric SUVs hitting the market. Volvo will launch its three-row EX90, followed by the smaller, more affordable EX30. Can Volvo’s new electric SUVs help revamp EV sales in the US? The brand expects big results. Here’s why.

Volvo expects new electric SUVs to drive US EV sales

Although Volvo delayed the launch of both models, they are finally about to hit the US market.

Volvo’s flagship EX90 is scheduled to arrive at US dealerships later this year, while the EX30 will follow in the second half of 2025.

Volvo’s electric SUVs are hitting the market at a critical time. According to Cox Automotive, Volvo’s US electric vehicle sales slipped 72% in the first half of 2024. Volvo has only sold 2,109 C40 and XC40 Recharge models, compared to over 7,600 last year.

As a result, Volvo’s share of the US EV market fell from 0.4% last year to 0.3% through June 2024. Volvo Cars US President Michael Cottone believes things will turn around quickly with its next-gen EVs rolling out.

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Volvo EX90 (Source: Volvo)

The EX90, Volvo’s three-row electric SUV, “is the first car that we will have launched and developed outside of Europe in our company’s almost 100-year history,” Cottone said at a media event this week (via Automotive News).

Volvo’s flagship EV “was designed for the U.S. market and then built in the U.S. market,” according to Cottone.

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Volvo EX90 production kicks off in South Carolina (Source: Volvo Cars)

Built in the US, for the US

With the seven-seat crossover segment being a growth engine for the Swedish automaker in the US, the EX90 is expected to play a key role in revamping EV sales.

The XC90, Volvo’s gas-powered three-row SUV, was its top-selling vehicle in 2023, representing almost a third of sales. “We are offering another car to another subset of consumers that we don’t have today,” Volvo’s US boss said.

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Volvo EX90 interior (Source: Volvo)

With an electric option, Volvo expects the EX90 to draw more buyers into showrooms. One Volvo dealer, Mathew Haiken, said the EX90 had the XC90-like DNA, which “has become a classic like the Range Rover or Porsche 911.”

“The EX90 is the antithesis of the Tesla Model X,” Haiken explained in terms of design. He added, “Most EVs look like computers on wheels.”

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Volvo EX90 three-row seating (Source: Volvo)

Volvo’s first EX90 rolled off the production line in South Carolina in June ahead of deliveries later this year.

Although Volvo announced the EX90 would start at $77,990, it was forced to raise prices after the US increased tariffs on the electric SUV’s CATL-made battery. The EX90 now starts at $81,290, including destination.

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Volvo EX30 Cloud Blue and Vapour Grey (Source: Volvo)

The EX30, Volvo’s smallest and cheapest EV, will arrive in the US in the second half of 2025. It will start at $34,950 as one of the most affordable EVs in the US.

Electrek’s Take

There is light at the end of the tunnel for Volvo. The EX90 is hitting the sweet spot of the US market. While Ford canceled its three-row electric SUV, foreign rivals continue seeing demand for the larger models.

For example, Kia sold nearly 11,500 EV9 models, its first three-row electric SUV, in the US through July. Kia is also producing EV9 models in the US as it looks to establish itself as a leader in the massive North American auto market.

Meanwhile, Volvo’s EX30 is already a top seller in Europe. According to new data from Jato Dynamics, the EX30 was the second-best-selling EV in Europe last month. With 6,573 registrations, Volvo’s EX30 trailed only Tesla’s Model Y (9,544).

With the new model, Volvo was the market share winner in Europe in July, gaining 5.5%. BMW was second and topped Tesla for the first time in total EV sales in Europe.

Will the EX30 have the same impact in the US? With two new electric SUVs rolling out, Volvo expects EV sales to turn around quickly.

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Delhi-ghtful! India mulls 2035 ICE ban, blocks fuel sales to older vehicles

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Delhi-ghtful! India mulls 2035 ICE ban, blocks fuel sales to older vehicles

In a bold bid to combat the crippling air pollution crisis in its capital, Delhi, Indian lawmakers have begun high-level discussions about a plan to phase out gas and diesel combustion vehicles by 2035 – a move that could cause a seismic shift in the global EV space and provide a cleaner, greener future for India’s capital.

Long considered one of the world’s most polluted capital cities, Indian capital Delhi is taking drastic steps to cut back pollution with a gas and diesel engine ban coming soon – but they want results faster than that. As such, Delhi is starting with a city-wide ban on refueling vehicles more than 15 years old, and it went into effect earlier this week. (!)

“We are installing gadgets at petrol pumps which will identify vehicles older than 15 years, and no fuel will be provided to them,” said Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa … but they’re not stopping there. “Additionally, we will intensify scrutiny of heavy vehicles entering Delhi to ensure they meet prescribed environmental standards before being allowed entry.”

Making it prohibitively difficult for Dehli’s residents to own and operate older, presumably more polluting vehicles is one way to reduce harmful emissions and air pollution, but Sirsa’s team isn’t just targeting newer vehicles. They’re also planning to deploy more than 900 electric transit buses, part of a larger plan to replace 5,000 of the city’s 7,500 total bus with lower- or zero-emission options this year alone.

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The Economic Times is reporting that discussions are underway to pass laws requiring that all future bus purchases will be required to be electric or “clean fuel” (read: CNG or hydrogen) by the end of this year, with a gas/diesel ban on “three-wheelers and light goods vehicles,” (commercial tuk-tuks and delivery mopeds) potentially coming 2026 to 2027 and a similar ban privately owned and operated cars and bikes coming “between 2030 and 2035.”

Electrek’s Take

2025 Xpeng G6 all-electric SUV with 5C ultra-fast charging “AI batteries” launched in China
Xpeng EV with Turing AI and Bulletproof battery; via XPeng.

After a Chinese government study linked air pollution caused by automotive exhausts and coal-fired power plants to more than 1.1 million deaths per year in 2013, the nation’s government took serious action, shuttering older coal plants and imposing strict emissions standards. The country also incentivized EV adoption through license-plate lotteries favoring electric cars and a nationwide EV mandate set to kick in by 2030.

The results were astounding, and the technological innovations that have come from an entire nation of talented engineers all “pulling in the same direction” have put the West to shame, with Western auto executives repeatedly sounding the alarm and lobbying for tariffs and other protectionist policies on both sides of the Atlantic.

To see India make move towards a gas and diesel ban like this, and on such an aggressive timeline, can only mean that they’ve been paying attention … and America is about to fall even further behind.

SOURCE: India Times; featured image by Sumita Roy Dutta.

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Parker launches Mobile Electrification Technology Center training program

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Parker launches Mobile Electrification Technology Center training program

Last week, Parker Hannifin launched what they’re calling the industry’s first certified Mobile Electrification Technology Center to train mobile equipment technicians make the transition from conventional diesel engines to modern electric motors.

The electrification of mobile equipment is opening new doors for construction and engineering companies working in indoor, environmentally sensitive, or noise-regulated urban environments – but it also poses a new set of challenges that, while they mirror some of the challenges internal combustion faced a century ago, aren’t yet fully solved. These go beyond just getting energy to the equipment assets’ batteries, and include the integration of hydraulic implements, electronic controls, and the myriad of upfit accessories that have been developed over the last five decades to operate on 12V power.

At the same time, manufacturers and dealers have to ensure the safety of their technicians, which includes providing comprehensive training on the intricacies of high-voltage electric vehicle repair and maintenance – and that’s where Parker’s new mobile equipment training program comes in, helping to accelerate the shift to EVs.

“We are excited to partner with these outstanding distributors at a higher level. Their commitment to designing innovative mobile electrification systems aligns perfectly with our vision to empower machine manufacturers in reducing their environmental footprint while enhancing operational efficiency,” explains Mark Schoessler, VP of sales for Parker’s Motion Systems Group. “Their expertise in designing mobile electrification systems and their capability to deliver integrated solutions will help to maximize the impact of Parker’s expanding METC network.”

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The manufacturing equipment experts at Nott Company were among the first to go through the Parker Hannifin training program, certifying their technicians on Parker’s electric motors, drives, coolers, controllers and control systems.

“We are proud to be recognized for our unwavering dedication to advancing mobile electrification technologies and delivering cutting-edge solutions,” says Nott CEO, Markus Rauchhaus. “This milestone would not have been possible without our incredible partners, customers and the team at Nott Company.”

In addition to Nott, two other North American distributors (Depatie Fluid Power in Portage, Michigan, and Hydradyne in Fort Worth, Texas) have completed the Parker certification.

Electrek’s Take

electric bobcat track loader
T7X all-electric track loader at CES 2022; via Doosan Bobcat.

With the rise of electric equipment assets like Bobcat’s T7X compact track loader and E10e electric excavator that eliminate traditional hydraulics and rely on high-voltage battery systems, specialized electrical systems training is becoming increasingly important. Seasoned, steady hands with decades of diesel and hydraulic systems experience are obsolete, and they’ll need to learn new skills to stay relevant.

Certification programs like Parker’s are working to bridge that skills gap, equipping technicians with the skills to maximize performance while mitigating risks associated with high-voltage systems. Here’s hoping more of these start popping up sooner than later.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Parker Hannifin.

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ReVolt extended range electric semi trucks score their first customer

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ReVolt extended range electric semi trucks score their first customer

Based on a Peterbilt 579 commercial semi truck, the ReVolt EREV hybrid electric semi truck promises 40% better fuel economy and more than twice the torque of a conventional, diesel-powered semi. The concept has promise – and now, it has customers.

Austin, Texas-based ReVolt Motors scored its first win with specialist carrier Page Trucking, who’s rolling the dice on five of the Peterbilt 579-based hybrid big rigs — with another order for 15 more of the modified Petes waiting in the wings if the initial five work out.

The deal will see ReVolt’s “dual-power system” put to the test in real-world conditions, pairing its e-axles’ battery-electric torque with up to 1,200 miles of diesel-extended range.

ReVolt Motors team

ReVolt Motors team; via ReVolt.

The ReVolt team starts off with a Peterbilt, then removes the transmission and drive axle, replacing them with a large genhead and batteries. As the big Pete’s diesel engine runs (that’s right, kids – the engine stays in place), it creates electrical energy that’s stored in the trucks’ batteries. Those electrons then flow to the truck’s 670 hp e-axles, putting down a massive, 3500 lb-ft of Earth-moving torque to the ground at 0 rpm.

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The result is an electrically-driven semi truck that works like a big BMW i3 or other EREV, and packs enough battery capacity to operate as a ZEV (sorry, ZET) in ports and urban clean zones. And, more importantly, allows over-the-road drivers to hotel for up to 34 hours without idling the engine or requiring a grid connection.

That ability to “hotel” in the cab is incredibly important, especially as the national shortage of semi truck parking continues to worsen and the number of goods shipped across America’s roads continues to increase.

And, because the ReVolt trucks can hotel without the noise and emissions of diesel or the loss of range of pure electric, they can immediately “plug in” to existing long-haul routes without the need to wait for a commercial truck charging infrastructure to materialize.

“Drivers should not have to choose between losing their longtime routes because of changing regulatory environments or losing the truck in which they have already made significant investments,” explains Gus Gardner, ReVolt founder and CEO. “American truckers want their trucks to reflect their identity, and our retrofit technology allows them to continue driving the trucks they love while still making a living.”

If all of that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard of Hyliion.

Hyliion electric semi truck

Hyliion Hypertruck ERX; via Hyliion.

Before it changed its focus to develop Carnot-cycle generators and gensets, Austin-based Hyliion built a number of EREV Peterbilts using the then-new 15L Cummins diesel as a generator and employing the same sort of battery and e-axle-arrangement as ReVolt.

In addition to being located in the same town and employing the same idea in the same Peterbilt 579 tractor, ReVolt even employs some of the same key players as Hyliion: both the company’s CTO, Chandra Patil, and its Director of Engineering, Blake Witchie, previously worked at Hyliion’s truck works.

Still, Hyliion made their choice when they shut down their truck business. ReVolt seems to have picked up the ball – and their first customer is eager to run with it.

“Our industry is undergoing a major transition, and fleet owners need practical solutions that make financial sense while reducing our environmental impact,” said Dan Titus, CEO of Page Trucking. “ReVolt’s hybrid drivetrain lowers our fuel costs, providing our drivers with a powerful and efficient truck, all without the need for expensive charging infrastructure or worrying about state compliance mandates. The reduced emissions also enable our customers to reduce their Scope 2 emissions.”

Page Trucking has a fleet of approximately 500 trucks in service, serving the agriculture, hazardous materials, and bulk commodities industries throughout Texas. And, if ReVolt’s EREV semis live up to their promise, expect them to operate a lot more than 20 of ’em.

SOURCES | IMAGES: ReVolt; via Power Progress, TTNews.

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