Volvo’s EV plans outlined by string of local trademarks

UPDATED 23/05/2023 3:45pm: Volvo Car Australia would not comment on any of its future models or nameplates, but did provide the following statement about the local acceptance of its growing all-electric and plug-in hybrid model range:

"Since the announcement of Volvo Cars being fully electric by end 2026 in Australia, our Pure Electric volumes continue to grow to the point that all-electric vehicles (C40 and XC40) represent over 40% of our total volume YTD.

"Our Recharge volume sits at 56% of our overall volume YTD. We continue to hold and build a sizeable order bank for the Recharge vehicles and in particular for the Pure Electric variants."

ORIGINAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED 23/05/2023 3:05pm: The shape of Volvo Car Australia’s all-electric future may have just been laid out before our eyes almost three years before it becomes an EV-only brand in 2026 via a string of local trademark applications for future nameplates.

The Swedish-Chinese brand has filed a dozen local trademark applications with IP Australia since February for a comprehensive line-up of model names spanning light SUVs through to large sedans and SUVs.

All filed exclusively under Class 12 (electric vehicles), the trademark submissions encompass the familiar 30, 40, 60 and 90 numerical designations – referring to size – and span the EX, ES, EC and EV prefixes, with each of the latter referring to a different body style.

We already know the EX models will be SUVs, as evidenced by the inbound Volvo EX90 and EX30, and while details of the other titles remain murky, the general consensus is that EC models will be coupe-style SUVs like the current C40, ES models will be sedans and the EV models will be wagons or at least wagon-like vehicles.

All of these prefixes take inspiration from their respective internal combustion counterparts, either with the first letter being replaced by ‘E’ – XC90 versus EX90 – or simply having an ‘E’ put in front of it, for example S60 v ES60.

carsales has contacted Volvo Car Australia for confirmation of this arrangement and to gauge any possible timelines beyond the EX90’s late 2024 arrival and the smaller EX30’s arrival later this year, following its world debut on June 7.

However, it’s unlikely they’ll come in fast succession because of Australia’s classification as a ‘deep water’ market – an internal term for markets with extended shipping times.

Senior Volvo Car Corporation executives have previously confirmed an all-electric equivalent of the current XC60 mid-sized SUV – the EX60 – will probably be the next purpose-built EV to emerge, followed by a zero-emissions alternative to the S90 large sedan (ES90).

Odds are the ES90 will share the bulk of its DNA with the upcoming Polestar 5 and Lotus Envya, both of which have been teased and/or spied testing extensively in recent months as parent company Geely gears up for a fight with the Porsche Taycan.

The Volvo version will probably be a bit more subdued in its styling and positioning compared to the Polestar and especially the Lotus, but a sleek shape and blood-pumping performance are still all but guaranteed.

We’ll be sure to update this article when we hear back from Volvo about potential release timing for the various trademarked nameplates, and how the 2026 deadline for its all-electric transition is being received by its dealers and customer base.

Here’s the full list of Volvo’s pending nameplates:
Volvo EX30
Volvo EX40
Volvo EC40
Volvo ES40
Volvo EV40
Volvo EX60
Volvo ES60
Volvo EV60
Volvo EX90
Volvo ES90
Volvo EV90

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