In September, Volvo Cars delivered the millionth plug-in hybrid (PHEV) to a customer. This is an important milestone for the company that is moving towards full electrification of its model range but is still focusing on hybrids as a transitional technology.
In the first half of 2025, PHEVs accounted for 23% of Volvo’s global sales. The numbers are impressive: from nearly 46 thousand hybrids sold in 2019, the company grew to more than 177 thousand in 2024. The main drivers are the XC60 and XC90 PHEV models, which are in demand in all three major sales regions.
The XC60 was the best-selling PHEV in Europe in 2024 and has been leading the premium PHEV segment worldwide for the past three years. Both models, the XC60 and XC90, were updated last year, which strengthened their positions in key markets – in Sweden, the USA, and China.
The company continues to release new electrified models. The recently introduced XC70 crossover became the first plug-in hybrid Volvo with an electric range of over 200 kilometers according to the Chinese CLTC cycle.
Internal Volvo data shows that hybrid owners often drive them like pure electric vehicles, especially in cities. On average, Volvo PHEV drivers use the car without starting the internal combustion engine for about half of their driving time.
Volvo has been producing plug-in hybrids for over ten years. The first PHEV the company introduced back in 2012 was a diesel hybrid version of the V60 wagon. For several years after that, Volvo remained the only global automaker offering a PHEV version of every model in its lineup.
Source: Volvo