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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Jasper Jolly

Håkan Samuelsson: outgoing Volvo boss and electric car pioneer

Håkan Samuelsson on the production line at Volvo’s  Torslanda plant.
Håkan Samuelsson on the production line at Volvo’s Torslanda plant. Photograph: Kris Wood/Kris Wood/Volvo Cars

Håkan Samuelsson was a relatively late convert to electric cars. He took over as boss of Volvo in 2012, but it was only three or four years later that he realised he needed to oversee the biggest shift in the company’s history: ending the use of fossil fuels.

Since then, Volvo has committed to making no more petrol or diesel cars after 2030. That will be the fastest phase-out of any traditional carmaker of equivalent size, and Volvo has put sustainability at the heart of its branding.

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