Volvo | The Verge

Volvo’s plug-in hybrid XC60 and XC90 can really go the distance

2026-09-15T07:12:30-04:00

Most plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) today get an average of around 30-50 miles of battery-only range: decent, but not mind-blowing. With hybrid sales dominating the market today, Volvo is out to prove that its PHEVs can push the limits of what's possible.

Today, the Swedish automaker revealed the updated PHEV versions of its popular XC60 and XC90 SUVs are its first "long range plug-in hybrids," delivering class-leading ranges of 78 miles and 73 miles, respectively. That's more than double the electric range of previous PHEV variants. The numbers are still preliminary and based on EPA testing standards. But if confirmed, they would …

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Volvo cancels EX40 in the US, updates XC40 with better sensors and Gemini AI

2026-09-10T09:08:16-04:00

Today, Volvo said it was canceling the entry-level electric EX40 in the US, while also giving its aging hybrid XC40 a new look. When it arrives at dealerships early next year, the new XC40 will have updated exterior styling, a gut-renovated interior featuring Google's Gemini AI assistant, enlarged infotainment screen, and a new sensor-and-software safety suite.

Volvo is expected to replace the EX40 with the slightly larger EX50, riding on the automaker's lower-cost SPA3 platform. The EV should reach US dealerships by mid-2027, and will likely start in the high-$40,000 range, according to Automotive News.

As a hybrid, the XC40 serves as a …

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Volvo’s cars will warn one another about hazards in the road

2026-08-26T11:28:14-04:00

Volvo is updating three of its electric vehicles with new hazard alerts to warn drivers when there are animals or vulnerable road users ahead. The new connected safety features are based on Volvo's cars talking to one another, as opposed to crowdsourced alert systems used by popular navigation tools like Google Maps and Waze.

The alerts work by using connected vehicle data from Volvo's fleet of passenger vehicles in Europe, the US, and Canada. The car's sensors and cameras are tuned to identify certain risks on the road. When one Volvo spots a hazard, it automatically logs the location and sends it to Volvo's servers. Alerts are then sent …

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Polestar claims it was blindsided by sales ban

2026-08-25T12:14:45-04:00

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: Polestar cars are displayed in the showroom at a Polestar dealership on June 26, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California. Electric car maker Polestar will be barred from selling new vehicles in the United States starting with the 2027 model year after the Commerce Department cited national security concerns under new connected-vehicle regulations. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Polestar said the Trump administration strung it along for months before finally rejecting its request to continue selling its electric vehicles in the US under a rule outlawing vehicles with connected software from China.

In an August 18th letter sent to dealers and obtained by The Verge, Polestar said it doesn't have a clear answer as to why its application to continue selling its EVs in the US was denied, considering its sister company Volvo was authorized to sell its vehicles despite similar corporate ownership. (The letter was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.)

The US Department of Commerce approved Volvo in May 2026 to con …

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Polestar owners left ‘holding the bag’ after EV brand pulls out of the US

2026-07-09T15:18:55-04:00

Last month, Polestar shocked the auto industry when it announced that it was pulling out of the US.

The EV company's decision came after the federal government denied its authorization to continue selling its cars despite a rule banning vehicles with Chinese-made connected vehicle software. Polestar, which is headquartered in Sweden but majority owned by China's Geely, said it would stop selling its vehicles in the US starting with the 2027 model year.

For the thousands of Polestar owners and dozens of dealers in the US, it was a moment of disappointment and uncertainty. What would happen with their vehicles? Who would service them? Would …

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Volvo is trying to put its EV stumbles in the rearview

2026-05-20T13:30:56-04:00

Volvo once had ambitions to fully exit the gas car business. Now it's trying to keep its tenuous foothold in the EV market.

It's not an understatement to say that Volvo's EV journey has been a bumpy one. The compact EX40 has been a consistent winner, but the Swedish brand's other EVs have been plagued with problems. The EX90 was supposed to be a bold statement for the future, but persistent software bugs have forced Volvo into an expensive hardware replacement. The tiny EX30 faired no better, with tariffs upending the rollout of the brand's first mass-market affordable EV, eventually leading to its discontinuation in the US.

But now with …

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Gemini will use Volvo’s external cameras to interpret parking signs

2026-05-19T14:25:22-04:00

Gemini is gaining the power of sight and mobility. Today at the I/O conference, Google and Volvo announced that the AI-powered assistant will be able to access external cameras in the upcoming EX60 SUV to help explain and interpret its surroundings to vehicle owners. The upgrade is possible thanks to Volvo's use of Google's embedded Android Automotive as its vehicle operating system.

Google posits that the first use case will be to ask Gemini to translate difficult-to-understand parking signs, though the company obviously sees other future applications as possible as well. Google envisions a camera-enabled Gemini recalling a road sign, inte …

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Volvo teases a new affordable EV to replace discontinued EX30

2026-05-18T17:48:31-04:00

Volvo's compact, quirky EX30 had a lot of problems when it was first released. Tariffs essentially erased its affordability, making it more expensive to own, and a battery recall made it dangerous to park indoors. But its discontinuation didn't spell the end of Volvo's efforts to sell more affordable electric models. In fact, the Swedish automaker is already at work on a new offering for the US market.

The news of an affordable Volvo EV for the US came during a media roundtable this week related to the US launch of the new EX60. Luis Rezende, president of Volvo Cars America, said that the decision to discontinue the EX30 was not solely abo …

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All the wrong EVs are getting canceled

2026-04-15T09:00:00-04:00

A Tesla Cybertruck gleaming in the lot of the Tesla showroom in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 29, 2025. | Photo by Simone Lueck / The Verge

These past few weeks have been particularly brutal for the EV industry - and anyone who believes that electric vehicles are the future. Thanks to slowing demand and policy whiplashes, automakers are on an EV murder spree, killing a host of promising new models. The EV graveyard grows bigger by the minute.

And unfortunately, as is often the case, much of the focus seems to be on affordable models that had the potential to attract new customers. Meanwhile, ugly EVs that cost too much and do nothing to move the needle on EV adoption continue to darken our highways.

First, the cheap ones whose bodies have not yet gone cold. The Volvo EX30, a …

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The great EV pullback: all the obstacles, cancellations, and delays

2026-09-25T10:00:38-04:00

The auto industry bet big on electric vehicles, but now those ambitious goals are falling apart. Demand was already slowing down when Donald Trump took office and took an ax to pro-EV policy: the elimination of the federal EV tax credit, kneecapping clean energy, and bulldozing emissions rules. Tariffs have been taking their toll as well. And now US and European automakers are taking a bath on its EV investments, forcing them to readjust their model lineup. Hybrids are the new bet, and the EV future looks further away than ever — at least for the US. China continues to outpace the rest of the world in EV development, and stands poised to win that future.

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