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Source: vvspy.com Facts: Volvo announced that they're waiting for a clear from Ford to start a new $5 billion development project over the next 5 years. The project includes a new model program and the Torslanda plant production is supposed to increase from 150.000 units the coming years to 230.000 units per year (the maximum theoretical output of the Torslanda plant). The cars built will be the larger models S80, V70, XC90 and XC70. 800 new jobs are planned as part of the investment (night shift at the plant is where most jobs will come). Also, the production speed is to increase from todays 50 cars/hour to 60 cars/hour. Volvo have an official policy of an 8 year life span for a platform. The current P2X platform began 1998, a replacement platform should come sometime 2006 or 2007. According to our sources MY 2007 might be the last MY for both S80 and V70. After that, a new platform will be introduced. In other words: the new project waiting for a go from Ford is the next large platform. We know that there already is a project lead for that platform (interview in last issue of Agenda) so a safe guess is that basic project plans are done already. (Possible model program and basic technology choices (RWD, FWD and stuff like that).) The investment is seperated into several parts, where on large part is plant investment. Another large part is product development.