So, in reality, Volvo and its competitors are being pushed into electric propulsion. The Swedes are just rolling with it—and boasting that they’re driving the change.
No doubt it’s good news for the planet. It also happens to be an excellent marketing strategy and a smart gambit to secure the company’s rep for decades to come. “There’s a big branding benefit to being first,” says Costa Samaras, who studies alternative energy at Carnegie Mellon University. “By announcing the end of the internal combustion engine, Volvo can plant a flag and hopefully attract some investment and talent.”