Battery technology has evolved so much over the past few years that demand for plug-in and all-electric vehicles is increasing. Manufacturers like BMW,->ke178 Mercedes,->ke187 and even Aston Martin->ke13 are planning to make a bigger footprint in the plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle market. Now Volvo->ke188 has announced its plan to introduce plug-in hybrids across its entire range of models starting with its 90- and 60-series vehicles. The plug-in version of the 2016 Volvo XC90 is the first example, and the S90 sedan will be next.

Along with electrification of its current models, Volvo will also introduce a line of smaller plug-in hybrids,->ke4486 known as the 40-series, and an all-electric model by the end of the decade as a competitor for Tesla Model S.->ke3329 Hakan Samuelsson – the President and CEO of Volvo – spoke on the matter saying, “We believe that the time has come for electrified cars to cease being a niche technology and enter the mainstream. We are confident that by 2020, 10 percent of Volvo’s global sales will be electrified cars.” Volvo hasn’t released any other details on the all-electric model, or the 40-series range it has planned, but they have mentioned it will broaden its current range with a new, Twin Engine model that will be front-wheel drive. We will keep you up to date as further details are released on Volvo’s newest strategy.

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Why it matters

It is no surprise that Volvo has adopted this strategy. Battery technology has improved enough that the range anxiety that comes along with battery-powered vehicles is starting to fade. I for one have never liked the idea of electric vehicles, but the numbers don’t lie. The XC90, for instance, puts out the equivalent of 407 horsepower and can hit 62 mph in just 5.6 seconds. Sure its all-electric range is only 26 miles, but for small commutes or a trip to the grocery store, 26 miles is more than enough. It’s clear that it's only a matter of time before our reliance on fossil fuels is a thing of the past.

Volvo XC90 T8

Read our full review on the XC90 T8 here.