Volvo’s revolutionary hybrid car based on the V60 — the car that according to the Swedish car maker averages 1.9 litres per 100 km and emits just 49 g/km CO2 — will be launched next year.
The car features a conventional combustion engine, a five-cylinder 2.4-litre turbodiesel producing 215 hp/440 Nm, and a 70 hp electric motor. The car has a range of up to 50 km when running on electricity, and 1,200 km with the diesel unit engaged.
That means an incredible fuel consumption of just under 2.0 liter per 100 km or roughly 150 mpg!
The V60 Plug-in Hybrid can be charged via a regular household electricity socket at home or when parked somewhere else. Charging time is about five hours if the car is recharged at home.
It is fantastic. Not just because of its economy, but also because unlike other green cars this Volvo actually looks rather magnificent. And it also has plenty of power for a fun drive.
“One important aspect of the project was to retain the Volvo V60?s excellent driving pleasure, high safety standard and luxurious comfort. At the same time, average CO2 emissions and fuel consumption will be halved compared with what is available on the market today,” says Stefan Jacoby, Volvo CEO. “We’re taking a step forward towards our “DRIVe Towards Zero” vision, that is to say the hunt for zero emissions. In fact, when the V60 Plug-in Hybrid is run solely on electricity and recharged using renewable energy, we’ve already reached that goal.”
Volvo Car Corporation starts selling the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid in 2012 (Video)
At the beginning of 2011, Volvo Car Corporation unveiled the V60 Plug-in Hybrid – a virtually production-ready car with carbon dioxide emissions below 50 g/km.
The Plug-in Hybrid, which will be launched on the market in 2012, is the result of close cooperation between Volvo Car Corporation and Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall.
“No industry or organisation can tackle the climate challenge all by itself. It is our mission to develop carbon dioxide-lean cars, but it is the society that is responsible for creating a sustainable future. This project shows how cooperation between experts in different areas brings us closer to the transition from individually carbon dioxide-lean products to a climate-smart lifestyle,” says Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation.
In January 2007, Volvo Car Corporation and Vattenfall AB launched an industrial partnership whose aim was to test and develop plug-in technology. This cross-border initiative resulted in the foundation of a jointly owned company – V2 Plug-in-Hybrid Vehicle Partnership HB.
Half the CO2 emissions, full driving pleasure
Development work has been jointly financed. Now the project is on the threshold of introducing the market’s first diesel plug-in hybrid. It’s an attractive car type that gives the user access to the very best properties of both an electric car and a diesel-powered vehicle: very low fuel consumption and CO2 levels, combined with long range and high performance.
“One important aspect of the project was to retain the Volvo V60?s excellent driving pleasure, high safety standard and luxurious comfort. At the same time, average CO2 emissions and fuel consumption will be halved compared with what is available on the market today,” says Stefan Jacoby
