Volvo has released more details of its new V60 plug-in hybrid model ahead of its unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show next week.
Treated to an exclusive pre-show preview of the new model, TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk headed to Volvo’s headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden a couple of weeks back to find out more about this exciting new hybrid, which Volvo is dubbing the ‘world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid’. Under embargo until today, we can finally reveal the juicy secrets we’ve holding onto on Volvo’s second electrified car, which combines the fuel efficiency and performance capabilities of a diesel with the clean tech of electric drive. Ever since petrol hybrids hit the road, we’ve been waiting for diesel versions to come along and offer even lower CO2.
Set for market release in 2012, the new V60 plug-in hybrid, won’t disappoint either. Being promoted as ‘three cars in one’, thanks to its choice of three driving modes, drivers can select a electric only ‘Pure’ drive mode for a range of up to 32 miles, powered solely by battery power. A high efficient ‘Hybrid’ mode uses the diesel engine and battery power for average emissions of just 49g/km CO2 while a performance ‘Power’ mode uses electric motor and combustion engine together for optimised and combined output of 215 + 70 horsepower ( and 440 + 200 Nm of torque) and acceleration from 0 to 62mph of just 6.9 seconds.
The Hybrid is the default mode whenever the car is started. The diesel engine and electric motor work to provide the optimal balance between driving performance and low environmental impact. The car’s total range is up to 746 miles when combining both diesel and electric range.
The five-cylinder 2.4-litre D5 turbodiesel engine drives the front wheels of the sports wagon while the rear axle is driven by the ERAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive) electric motor which receives its power from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The car also features a six-speed automatic transmission. Based on the original V60 model, the new plug-in version features the same interior space for passengers but loses a small amount of boot space to accommodate the new technology.
It can be recharged via a regular power socket (230V/6A, 10A or 16A) at home or in a parking lot. The charging time depends on the level of the current. A full 10A charge takes just 4.5 hours. The time is shortened to 3 hours with 16A, while a charge in a 6A socket takes 7.5 hours.
Warming Up
To get a comfortable start of the journey, the car driver has the possibility to preheat or cool the passenger compartment during the recharging process. This also means that more battery capacity can be used for powering the car.
The pre conditioning is programmed via a timer integrated into the car’s setup menu or remotely via a mobile phone.
In addition to the three driving modes, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid features a number of other possibilities and benefits:
- The driver can choose to save battery capacity in order to be sure of driving on clean electricity later, for instance after entering the city. In order to maintain a sufficient battery charge level, the car is powered by its diesel engine.
- Pushing the AWD button in the centre stack activates electric four-wheel drive. Instead of the mechanical power transmission of the conventional AWD system, the central control unit manages torque distribution to the diesel-driven front wheels and the electrically powered rear axle.
- Using the car setup menu, the driver can key in the planned route’s distance (short, medium or long). The control system calculates the balance between diesel and electric power to obtain the lowest possible CO2 emissions for the given distance.
The instrument panel in the car has also been modified to give the driver a full range of important information about diesel and electricity consumption, battery charge level, remaining range and so on.
It will also be possible to communicate with the car via a mobile application. This gives the owner access to a number of smart features, such as a reminder to plug in the charging cable if this hasn’t been done at a certain, pre-set time.
The new production-ready V60 plug-in will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1, 2011.
