The Chinese-owned firm, best known for its emphasis on driver safety, has become the first traditional carmaker to signal the end of the internal combustion engine.

It plans to launch five fully electric models between 2019 and 2021 and a range of hybrid models.

But it will still be manufacturing earlier models that have pure combustion engines.

Geely, Volvo's Chinese owner, has been quietly pushing ahead with electric car development for more than a decade.

It now aims to sell one million electric cars by 2025.

"This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car," said Hakan Samuelsson, chief executive of Volvo's carmaking division.

"People increasingly demand electrified cars, and we want to respond to our customers' current and future needs," he said.