It's probably nothing. Just a playful social media post from a random Volvo account celebrating the mysterious concept car from early life. It wouldn't mean that Volvo would actually build the thing … would it?
The post in question went live on Volvo Cars Heritage Facebook feed last week, and it was simple enough. You can check it out for yourself, below.
Do you see? Just a few pictures of the 3CC, a concept Volvo designers at the time intended to be “future proof” and developed with an eye to sustainability. It was an early hybrid, with regenerative braking and smooth aerodynamics along with gullwing doors and a 1+2 seating arrangement for easy entry and exit.
Nothing to be excited about, right? Except – why (wink, shake) at the end? Could it be that Volvo has released some unusual hints about a new product in their own the museum place? Is that wild speculation, wishful thinking, or just sloppy reporting?
Well, like the newly minted “Weekend Editor” here Electrek (thanks, Fred!), nobody's going to put me off until Monday morning, very early – so we'll run with it, whatever it is.
It sure looks like a Robotaxi
I wouldn't blame Elon for stealing design ideas from Volvo just like I wouldn't blame Volvo for stealing the 3CC concept design from the OG Honda CRX HF. That said, they seem to share some conceptual DNA, don't they?
OK, so we have some change here – safe to say. But on the automation side of things? Basically, the “stock is worth zero if true self-driving is not achieved” side of the equation?
There's some flexibility there, too, because while Tesla was developing its widely publicized FSD software, Volvo's parent company, Geely, was working with Alphabet (read: Google) to develop their own fully autonomous taxi for Waymo using ZEEKR. a symbol.
Is it really crazy to think an updated 3CC concept equipped with the same Waymo sensor they put in Hyundais (read about that here) was shown just in time to steal Tesla's thunder from October 10? Especially on the heels of the growing success of the EX30 in Europe?
It's not – and you think that's what's going to happen. That's my take, anyway. What is yours? Head down to the comments and let us know if you think Volvo has what it takes to launch a Robotaxi competitor in the comments.
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