8:38 am, February 9, 2022
Volvo is to plough £808m into its Torslanda plant so it can focus fully on the production of next-generation EVs.
The upgrades will include installing new and more sustainable technologies and manufacturing methods at the Swedish factory, including mega casting aluminium body parts.
Mega casting simplifies building a vehicle’s body, reducing the number of parts that need to be joined together.
Volvo says the process ‘is the most significant and exciting change’ to come from the investment, as it improves sustainability, cost and car performance.
In addition, using the process to create the floor from a single aluminium part reduces weight, which in turn reduces the amount of materials needed and improves vehicle efficiency.
A new battery assembly plant will also be built, while the paint and final assembly shops will be fully refurbished, too.
The investments follow a recent announcement by Volvo and battery cell company Northvolt, which are investing £2.4bn into the development and manufacture of next-generation battery technology for Volvo’s EVs.
Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive of Volvo Cars, said: ‘With these investments, we take an important step towards our all-electric future and prepare for even more advanced and better electric Volvos.
‘Torslanda is our largest plant and will play a crucial role in our ongoing transformation as we move towards becoming a pure electric car maker by 2030.’
The factory, which opened in 1964, produces 300,000 cars a year and currently employs some 6,500 people.
