The company said the all-new model will be based on its Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) for smaller cars, and will be available for sale in 2019 and exported globally from China.
Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive of Volvo Cars said: “Volvo Cars fully supports the Chinese government’s call for cleaner air as outlined in the latest five-year plan.
“It is fully in-line with our own core values of environmental care, quality and safety. We believe that electrification is the answer to sustainable mobility.”
China is the world’s largest sales market for electrified cars, and has targets to expand sales of fully electric and hybrid cars to address congestion and air-quality issues in its cities.
Volvo said it has a commitment to sell a total of one million electrified cars – including fully electric cars and hybrids – by 2025.
In addition to the CMA, the company is developing a fully electric car on its Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). The Swedish company also plans to offer plug-in hybrid versions of every model.
Volvo has three manufacturing facilities in China: in Daqing, which makes its 90 series cars; Chengdu, which makes its 60 series cars; and Luqiao, which will make its 40 series cars.
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