Volvo’s new Slovakia plant will use the automaker’s most superior platform when it begins manufacturing in 2026.

“Will probably be a successor to SPA2,” Geert Bruyneel, Volvo’s head of world manufacturing, instructed Automotive Information Europe.

SPA2 is an electric-only structure that may underpin the automaker’s forthcoming flagship SUV in addition to the Polestar 3. Each battery-propelled premium massive SUVs will go into manufacturing later this 12 months at Volvo’s U.S. manufacturing unit close to Charleston, South Carolina.

Bruyneel and Volvo’s head of business technique, Erik Severinson, declined to say which automotive can be made on the new Kosice plant, however the automaker makes use of the present era of SPA (quick for scalable product structure) on fashions reminiscent of XC90 SUV and its international best-seller, the XC60 premium midize SUV.

Volvo’s subsequent flagship crossover, which can take over a job at the moment held by XC90, shall be full-electric and will pay homage to the Swedish automaker’s lineage.

Volvo has not revealed the title of the primary mannequin that may use SPA2, however has stated it can deviate from utilizing alphanumeric names reminiscent of XC90 and XC60 on future autos.

Volvo filed for trademark safety final October for the title Embla, based on Australian information web site Drive. In Norse mythology, Embla is the title of the primary girl.

The additional advanced model of SPA2 deliberate for Kosice shall be executed by Volvo, which can proceed to share it with sibling manufacturers owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding.

“That is the subsequent era in our know-how journey,” Severinson, instructed ANE.

Bruyneel stated that journey contains utilizing megacasting for giant aluminum physique components.

Volvo’s largest and oldest automotive plant, situated in Torslanda, Sweden, shall be prepared for megacasting by 2025, which coincides with the manufacturing begin for the primary full-electric automotive on the manufacturing unit.

Volvo government Mikael Fermer instructed ANE earlier this 12 months that switching to the brand new method for automotive development “is the most important know-how shift since we switched from wooden to metal [for car bodies].”

Bruyneel stated Volvo will look to reflect Torslanda within the transfer to megacasting, with an eye fixed towards taking the techique, which is already utilized by Tesla, to a fair increased degree on the Slovakia plant.

“The brand new plant in Slovakia offers us a once-in-a-lifetime alternative to place essentially the most environment friendly state-of-the-art manufacturing unit in place,” Bruyneel stated.

When requested whether or not Volvo plans so as to add battery or electrical motor manufacturing on the manufacturing unit, Bruyneel stated that whereas these selections nonetheless must be made: “The purpose is to re-think and construct an EV plant from scratch and attempt to built-in as a lot of that sort of manufacturing as attainable.” He added that Volvo has room in Kosice to increase if wanted.

Slovakia survived a year-long course of that Severinson stated began with about 50 areas.

That listing was decreased to 10, then 5, then three, with Kosice being chosen for the 1.2 billion euro ($1.25 billion) funding. About 20 % of that quantity is predicted to be coated by the federal government.

Bruyneel stated a key issue for Volvo’s selection was getting nearer to suppliers, which is a weak spot of its different European vegetation in Torslanda and Ghent, Belgium.

“In contrast with Ghent and Torslanda, we are going to considerably cut back the space between our plant and suppliers,” he stated, declining to quantify how a lot the space shall be decreased.

Severinson stated the transfer aligned Volvo with an ongoing development. “Simply have a look at the European automotive map and also you see that the purpose of gravity for the provision base is within the east,” he stated. “So, it is a unbelievable location from a supplier-base perspective.”

Two different key elements for selecting Kosice have been the standard of the native workforce and the chance to energy the plant with climate-neutral options.

Together with a spread of provider factories, Volkswagen Group, Stellantis, Kia and Jaguar Land Rover even have vegetation within the nation. 

Hydro and nuclear vitality can be found and Bruyneel stated Volvo can even look to make use of wind and photo voltaic and to run the plant in a local weather impartial method. Volvo goals to be a local weather impartial firm by 2040.

Added Bruyneel: “We’ll restrict using gasoline as a lot as attainable” on the plant, which is lower than 100 km from Ukraine.