Thomas Ingenlath returns to Volvo as chief design officer, bringing his extensive experience and passion for design back to the brand. In an exclusive interview, he discusses the challenges of integrating traditional Volvo values with modern electric vehicle technology. Ingenlath emphasizes the importance of creating a harmonious interaction between drivers and their cars, while also leveraging synergies within the Geely group. His fresh perspective, gained from time at Polestar, positions him uniquely to guide Volvo into its next chapter of design innovation.
Volvo is bringing back Thomas Ingenlath as chief design officer starting Feb. 1. The designer of the XC60 — Volvo’s all-time bestseller — and Polestar’s first CEO discusses his vision for harmonizing digital screens with physical controls and why design needs to make cars feel “joyful” again. Automotive News Europe Managing Editor Doug Bolduc sits down with Ingenlath for an exclusive conversation about his return to Volvo.
"...Ingenlath designed the XC60, Volvo's all-time bestseller, and previously led the company's design team..."
The XC60 is a popular SUV made by Volvo. It's known for being safe and comfortable, making it a favorite among families.
The Volvo XC60 is a compact luxury SUV that has been a best-seller for the brand. It is known for its safety features, comfortable interior, and advanced technology.
"...I was just in the IX3 yesterday and that's a pretty good example of what you were saying about the IAA..."
The BMW iX3 is an electric SUV made by BMW. It’s designed to be environmentally friendly while still providing the space and comfort of a traditional SUV.
The BMW iX3 is an all-electric version of the popular X3 SUV, showcasing BMW's shift towards electrification. It combines the practicality of an SUV with electric performance and efficiency.
"...doing the XC40 together was an incredible advantage for Volvo, and I see that this can be very fruitful in the future as well..."
The Volvo XC40 is a small SUV made by Volvo. It's known for being stylish and safe, making it a popular choice for families and individuals alike.
The Volvo XC40 is a compact luxury SUV that offers a blend of style, practicality, and advanced technology. It has been well-received for its safety features and innovative design.
"...doing that startup Polestar, which of course I loved the job and I loved the challenge there, and it was a great time..."
Polestar is a brand that makes electric cars and started as part of Volvo. They focus on making cars that are both fast and good for the environment.
Polestar is a performance electric vehicle manufacturer that originated as a performance division of Volvo. It has since become an independent brand focusing on electric performance cars, combining sustainability with high performance.
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Hey, this is daily drive executive producer Jake Nier in Las Vegas. Thanks for listening
to this bonus episode of the show. On Wednesday's episode, we reported that Volvo is bringing
back Thomas Ingenlath to serve as chief design officer starting February 1st. Ingenlath designed
the XC60, Volvo's all-time bestseller, and previously led the company's design team before
becoming poll stars for CEO. That story came to us from Doug Bolduck of our sibling publication,
Automotive News Europe. Doug spoke with Ingenlath in the wake of the news, and we wanted to give
you an opportunity to hear more from that exclusive interview. Here's a piece of their conversation.
Couple of things. A, it's actually a long time ago that I have been with Volvo, and indeed the
connection stayed partly because, of course, I stayed in the group. And my heart never left
that much either. You know, my family, we're all here in Gothenburg. We not only like the country,
we like as well the values of the country, and these values are incredible, relevant,
and true for Volvo as well. So, having said that, I've worked for other companies. I see a lot of
other companies, and I have to say that's still something very special, and to be acknowledged
what it means to work in such a good environment here with these values. So, that was one pass.
The other thing is, I mean, how much do you actually feel excited about
doing this job? And I need that. I mean, Jesus, to work how I work with that energy and passion,
you need to be passionate about the thing, otherwise you cannot fake it or create that
energy out of nowhere. And I mean, when I left Volvo, that range of cars was done. It felt
like a good time and stuff. I feel now there is a different thing ahead of us, and I feel that
that is generally in the industry a big question mark, a big task, a big thing to solve in a way.
I mean, obviously, electric cars, digital cars are reality, that is the way it had.
But the first, and I would call it now naive, wave of how that falls in place,
we went through that. And there are now a couple of understand and learnings where we have to find
now a bit more of a sophisticated, better answer. And that is, A, for the way how we interact with
cars, I think everybody feels that we haven't really got a good harmony between what we have in
screens, what we have with controls. I think there's still a big, big task ahead of making the car
feel good and really joyful. And I call it now again. I mean, that's where acknowledging
certain physical aspects of your body and the way how the brain works and how physical controls
are. That's a big task, how to bring that modern interaction model into this understanding.
Other thing is, I don't know if you've been in Munich at the year and you saw the pass out there
and how premium companies with long history, tradition, try to find now their expression,
their way in terms of how they transfer into the electric age. That's exactly where I feel like
very much teased and interested in working on that answer for Volvo. Volvo is a company with
incredible history, incredible values, incredible rich storage of historical cars. How do you take
that value, that treasure and bring it alive in a modern electric car, in a modern way?
Obviously not by ignoring it and just creating something totally different. I think this
opposite to a startup all-star where you kind of work with a wide sheet of paper,
here you really have to make that intellectual work of transferring that treasure into a modern
expression. And again, not making this a romantic flashback. I mean, this has to be a very highly
processed transition. So that's something that I'm very curious and interested in doing that
for Volvo. Yeah, I'm interested in seeing how you handled that challenge. You did it so well with
the generation of Volvo cars that we're still driving today, like the 90, the 60. They've had
some tweaks, but it's still very much your baby when it comes to the core of the car. You've got
this great experience bringing electrification out there and starting, like you said, with the
blank sheet of paper. But now that balancing act, I mean, I was just in the IX3 yesterday and that's
a pretty good example of what you were saying about the IAA, that in-car experience is pretty
intensively different. And how do you do that and put the Volvo stamp on it and put the Thomas
Engelhoff stamp on it? That's going to be an interesting challenge to see how you're going
to be able to do that. But again, this isn't something where you, look, are planning on being
here for, like, Hogan for two years. I mean, if for you to get to that level, you're going to need
to be here for a little while. It's just great. We'll have a lot of conversations. Absolutely.
And to make that clear, I mean, of course, it's great to have that trustful relationship with
Hogan. We have been working very well together in the past. Having said that, I'm here, of course,
for the job of Volvo and doing that generation of cars I had. And that will take some time to
shape it up and do it. And one thing is clear. On one hand, you need a good relationship with the
CEO, whoever that is. At the same time, you definitely need a very, very good working
relationship with your colleagues in the executive management team. You cannot rely on the authority
of the CEO to make that happen for you. You need to have that dialogue, that conversation, that
argument together with the boss of R&D, the markets, and convince them, find the right compromise,
find the right way ahead. That is a big, big task to network and work together with these colleagues.
Coming up, we'll hear more from Doug Bolduc's exclusive interview with incoming Volvo chief
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You have something that Hoken really wants, and I think that you, and he would align on this mission,
being closer with Geely. You know the wide Geely, not just one brand. You know how the whole
operation works. So that definitely helps because to get to that level, you're going to want to
do it as cost-effectively as, because that's the big challenge with the design, right? You
can have a fantastic idea, but you also know, you've seen how the books, you've looked elbow to elbow
with CFOs, that there's a lot more to running a car company than just pretty. Absolutely right.
The group is an inspiration and an opportunity, and this is what strangely enough in some
discussions is sometimes ignored, that actually for a company of the size of Volvo, it's an
incredible opportunity to be part and to work with technologies, with synergies in this group.
This is what, I mean, already doing the XC40 together was an incredible advantage for Volvo,
and I see that this can be very fruitful in the future as well. As somebody who came from the BW
group, that obviously that was never something that I questioned. You have to have your own strong
R&D, you have to have your own strong development capabilities, but at the same time, it's an
incredible advantage to work together in a group in order to get these awesome products out.
What's very interesting, and again, this is nothing that anybody could have timed, but
in a six-week period where we've lost Jerry McGovern from the design field, we've lost
Gordon Begner as the retiring, and then someone with your experience and your knowledge is coming
back, this was a nice change to see that, again, someone who has a link to the history of design,
as well as a vision of the future will still be helping guide us on that journey of what cars
are going to be. The good thing is that I dare to make that point now. I wasn't stuck to one
place for too long. I actually have been in my first 20 years in a completely different company.
I've been, of course, with Volvo. I have been longer away from Volvo than I was with Volvo,
doing that startup Polestar, which of course I loved the job and I loved the challenge there,
and it was a great time. But of course, doing this now, starting this at Volvo, is something
completely fresh and new, and I come with fresh eyes to the place. Opposites, let's say I would
have been here now for the last 15 years, I think that would be a very different situation.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's fresh perspective to bring in. Now, I'm going to have to ask a cheeky
question. So bear with me for a second. You know how to run a company. It's been said by
Hogan in the company itself that Hogan will be there for two years.
Can I call you a frontrunner for CEO, or will you say, Lowe, I'm going to finish up my career
as a designer? Now you can take me off that list. I'm definitely not in for that. I'm very, very
happy to concentrate now on the role as a chief design officer, and I tell you that task and the
complexity and the involvement with the business that it brings with it is definitely my feel
of concentration for the years to come. Incoming Volvo chief design officer Thomas Ingenlath
spoke with automotive news Europe managing editor Doug Boldek. Thanks for listening to this bonus
episode of Daily Drive. We'll be back on Monday with a brand new full episode of the show.
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