Volvo is of course synonymous with safety, but the Swedish automaker also promises to “set the standard” for electric vehicles.
While brands like Nissan and Chevrolet are stealing headlines for their latest offerings, Volvo is quietly preparing to launch its own EV, the C30 Electric. The hatchback will naturally feature all the safety and practicality that one would expect from Volvo, but it will also boast a range of nearly 100 miles.
The C30 Electric's battery
Taking a similar approach to BMW and its Mini-E EV, Volvo wants to take its time with EV development and rack up some real-world miles and refine the technology before if offers the car for sale in 2013.
“We have had a very positive response from the market so far,” Lennart Stegland, director of Volvo’s special vehicles division, said in a statement. “If the demand continues to be high, we will of course expand our production series.”
With positive results thus far, Volvo is now considering the expansion of its EV lease program to California and China, as both markets show a huge potential for electric vehicles.
The latest C30 EV is powered by a 67-horsepower electric motor. Powering the motor is a 23 kilowatt lithium-ion battery developed by the U.S. firm Enerdell. A full recharge takes about 8 hours when plugged into a 220-volt outlet.
“We haven’t compromised anything,” said Paul Gustavsson, vice president of business development. “It offers the same comfort, the same space and the same safety as the C30.”
Aside from the C30, Volvo is also working on a V60 plug-in hybrid. This vehicle features a 50-kilowatt electric motor driving the rear wheels and an 11-kilowatt-hour pack, which can propel the car for 31 miles solely on electricity. With the help of a diesel engine, the V60 hybrid delivers 280 horsepower and 442 pound feet of torque overall.
No pricing information is available just yet on either model, but it’s clear that Volvo wants to be a leader in fuel economy in the near future. Volvo expects 5 to 10 percent of cars in Sweden to be electric by 2020, and naturally the brand wants to be the EV maker of choice.
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