Volvo introduces new electric cars, but gas models still available for now

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Volvo's newest model is a representation of the brand's future. The all-electric three-row EX90 SUV is part of the brand's plan to be fully electric by the end of the decade.

A battery-powered SUV is the hot ticket right now across the industry, so Volvo's just following the trend, adding to two other electric SUVs already in its showrooms, the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge.

If you're a Volvo fan who's not ready for an EV just yet maybe a sedan, or a wagon with a gas engine is the way to go.

Those were the cars that put the company on the automotive map decades ago. A nice Volvo four-door or wagon was always a practical choice, loaded with safety features. You can still get those for now, and for the near future.

Want a tidy conventional Volvo? How about the S60, which carries on the tradition of practicality. Like most all Volvo's gas-engine models now, it's available as a plug-in hybrid. Charge up the battery, and you essentially have an electric car for up to 41 miles of around-town driving. But if you need to go farther, the efficient gas engine will get you there. The S60 Recharge starts at a base price of $52,345.

Then there is the long timeline of Volvo wagons, revered by owners going way, way back. You can still get an all-wheel drive V60 Cross Country model. It's not really pretending to be an SUV, though it does have much of the capability. The V60 Cross Country is for all intents and purposes, a station wagon in the traditional way, and has a base price of just over $50,000.

The bonus today is that it comes with a 48 volt mild hybrid system, now standard on all Volvo gas models. Good for some extra power, and fuel efficiency.

Volvo is supposedly working on replacements for its current sedan and station wagon models, coming out in the years ahead. But they have to be able to make a business case to sell those. In other words, people have to keep buying them, or the company could conceivably decide to only make SUV models.

Parts of the current Volvo lineup will definitely be the last of their breed in one way: no more internal combustion engines as of 2030. The upcoming EX-90 is an example of what Volvo plans to sell a whole lot of in the future, an SUV-style vehicle running on electricity.

In some ways, 2030 is a long way off. So you still have plenty of time to get a Volvo model like you may remember, or had always wanted. A sedan or wagon with a gasoline engine. But that clock is definitely ticking.