Volvo could lead Ford in developing diesel hybrids

Now that Ford is on the verge of off-loading Jaguar and Land Rover they are taking a serious look at moving Volvo upmarket into the void left by the British brands. As part of that move Ford is giving the Swedes engineering responsibility in Europe for hybrid technology. They have already opened a new hybrid engineering center in Gothenburg where Volvo has their headquarters. At the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Volvo showed off a new series hybrid concept called the Volvo ReCharge. If Ford does move Volvo further upmarket, they would be the logical brand to potentially develop a diesel hybrid since that combination would be fairly expensive.

[Source: Detroit News]