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TECHNOLOGY Friday 7 July 2017

Volvo goes electric, ditches cars powered solely by gas

By MATTI HUUHTANEN in the U.S.
Associated Press Cars with mild hybrid sys-
HELSINKI (AP) — Volvo tems also can accelerate
plans to build only electric better because both elec-
and hybrid vehicles starting tric and gas systems can
in 2019, making it the first be used at the same time
major automaker to aban- when needed.
don cars and SUVs pow- Fully electric and hybrid
ered solely by the internal vehicle sales have risen a
combustion engine. little since 2012 but still ac-
CEO Hakan Samuelsson counted for only 2.6 mil-
said the move was dictat- lion, or about 3 percent
ed by customer demand. of worldwide new vehicle
It means that in two years, sales, last year. Navigant
all new Volvo vehicles will predicts that will increase
have some form of electric to around 3.7 million in 2018
propulsion. and to more than 9 million
The rest of the auto indus- by 2025. That’s about 9
try is likely to make similar percent of sales.
moves in a few years, said Volvo, which is based in
Sam Abuelsamid, senior Sweden but owned by
analyst for Navigant Re- Chinese firm Geely, will
search, with luxury auto- launch five fully electric
makers leading the way. Volvo Cars CEO Hakan Samuelsson during an interview with TT News Agency at Volvo Cars Show- cars between 2019 and
room in Stockholm, Sweden, Wednesday, July 5, 2017.
“I think we’ll probably Associated Press 2021. Three of them will
see most of the premium be Volvo models and two
brands do the same thing will be electrified cars from
in roughly the same time 48-volt “mild hybrids” that getting rid of mechanical cedes-Benz already are Polestar, Volvo Cars’ per-
frame,” he said. “More assist a gas engine to move belts that are a drag on the rolling out mild hybrid sys- formance car arm. It also
high-volume mainstream a car to make it more effi- engine. Those systems can tems on cars in Europe. plans to offer a range of
brands will be a little slow- cient, improving gas mile- run only when needed, Those systems likely will hybrids as options on all
er.” age by 10 or 15 percent, and that can save another be coming to the U.S. be- models.
In order to meet govern- Abuelsamid said. 2 or 3 percent on fuel con- cause it’s expensive for Volvo expects to reach its
ment fuel economy re- Such systems generate sumption — so a vehicle the companies to build target of selling 1 million
quirements worldwide, au- enough electricity to al- that gets 20 mpg could get different cars for different electrified cars by 2025,
tomakers are developing low automakers to move about another four miles markets, Abuelsamid said. with a range of models,
more hybrid systems that functions such as air con- per gallon he said. General Motors and others including fully electric ve-
use both gas engines and ditioners and water and oil European luxury brands already have such systems hicles and hybrid cars.q
electric motors. Many are pumps to electric power, such as Audi and Mer- as options on some models

Qualcomm seeks to block iPhone

imports in patent dispute

NEW YORK (AP) — Qual- shipments of products that District Court in San Diego
comm is seeking to block violate intellectual proper- seeking damages.
iPhone shipments to the ty. However, such disputes The two companies have
U.S., arguing that the can take a long time to re- been battling over how
phones infringe on six of its solve, so iPhone sales aren’t much Apple owes in licens-
patents. immediately at risk. Apple’s ing fees to Qualcomm.
Qualcomm plans to re- iPhones are assembled in Apple has been withhold-
quest the import ban Friday Asia before being imported ing fees until the courts
with the U.S. International for sale in the U.S. determine the amount, a In this Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, file photo, a customer sets up his
Trade Commission, which On Thursday, Qualcomm process that could take new iPhone 7 Plus, right, as he switches from the iPhone 6 at the
Apple Store on Michigan Avenue during the release of the Apple
has the power to block filed a related lawsuit in U.S. several years.q iPhone 7 and the latest Apple Watches, in Chicago.