Volvo has officially said goodbye to diesel after its last XC90 rolled off the production line.

The Swedish manufacturer announced its intention to drop diesel at Climate Week NYC last September and it’s now become a reality.

Its plant in Ghent, Belgium, made its final diesel-powered car – a V60 – early last month, and now the sister factory in Torslanda, Sweden, has turned out its last XC90 diesel car.

The Geely-owned firm said both events marked a huge milestone in its 97-year history, adding that the move heralded ‘a big step towards our ambitions of becoming a fully electric car maker, as well as achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040’.

It said the success of its diesel cars had ‘played a significant role in our evolution into a premium brand’ but pointed out: ‘In recent years, the electric revolution has evolved quicker than most of us could have imagined.’

The main drivers had been a tightening of regulations concerning exhaust emissions, customer demand in response to the climate crisis plus a desire for cleaner urban air, said the carmaker.

Five years ago, most of the cars it sold in Europe ran on diesel, with electric models just starting to build momentum.

But today, most of its sales on the continent are electrified cars.

‘Last year, we increased our sales of fully electric cars by 70 per cent and our global electric market share by 34 per cent,’ it said.

‘The figures speak for themselves, underscoring that the all-electric direction we’re now heading towards is the right one to take, and we do so with our flag held high.’

Volvo added: ‘While our future indeed is fully electric, our mixed portfolio includes some excellent plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid models, which will act as a perfect bridge towards that future.’

Milestones in Volvo’s diesel history

1979: Volvo’s first diesel car is launched – the 244 GL D6

2001: Launch of V70, boasting Volvo’s first self-built diesel engine

2008: Volvo launches its Drive-E lineup, featuring small but highly efficient 1.6-litre diesel engines

2012: Volvo V60 D6 plug-in hybrid is launched – the world’s first plug-in hybrid fitted with a diesel engine

2013: For the second time in history, Volvo launches a completely self-built diesel engine family – the Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA)

2023: Volvo moves away from combustion engines by selling its stake in Aurobay – the combustion engine joint-venture company it has with Geely Holding

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