Volvo plans 1,000 plug-in hybrids next year

Add Volvo to the growing list of automakers that will have electric cars rolling around next year.

New Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby -- formerly U.S. head of VW -- told Drive On at the L.A. Auto Show today that as many as 1,000 plug-in versions of a modified Volvo C30 will be built for a massive test in California, China and Europe next year. He said at his earlier speech at the show that he sees China and the USA as the growth markets that will revive Volvo.

Jacoby says that the plug-in is part of a multitiered approach by Volvo to electrification -- but that Volvo will have "no problem" meeting the governments tougher 2016 mileage requirements.

But even as it looks to its future, Volvo still is coping with falling sales.

Jacoby pointed out to us that Volvo sold about 140,000 vehicles in 2004 -- and that last year, the total had fallen to about 60,000. But he says Volvo's new Chinese owners have plans to boost sales both in the U.S. and China that will be disclosed in the next few weeks.