The threat of tariffs is prompting a number of overseas automakers to tout the extent of their investment in the U.S., with Hyundai’s big investment earlier in the year being a particularly high-profile example. (Albeit with some more recent complications.) But they aren’t the only foreign marque with manufacturing operations in the U.S., and this month Volvo offered some hints as to what we can expect from their facility in Ridgeville, South Carolina.
Chief among them is what Volvo dubbed a “next-generation hybrid model,” set for release sometime before 2030. As Jack Ewing reported for The New York Times, this will be the fourth vehicle made at the Ridgeville facility. It’s set to join two electric vehicles — the Volvo EX90 and the Polestar 3 — and one SUV, the XC60, that will begin production in South Carolina next year.
“By adding another model into production here, we’ll take a big step toward realising the full potential of our local manufacturing investments and workforce, and accelerate progress toward our ambitious commercial targets in the coming years,” said Volvo’s President of Americas, Luis Rezende, in a statement.
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The decision has to do with tariffsIn an article on Volvo’s announcement, Autoweek‘s Natalie Neff observed that the Ridgeville plant is capable of producing 150,000 vehicles each year. Adding a fourth model to the itinerary is a big step towards realizing the facility’s full potential. That the fourth vehicle set to be made in South Carolina is a hybrid is also a reflection of trends in the U.S. auto market, where demand for hybrids has been on the rise lately.
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