Volvo plug-in car has range of 66 miles
October 3, 2007
Volvo will unveil an electric concept car that is capable of travelling 62 miles on battery power at this year's Frankfurt motor show.
The car, which is called the ReCharge Concept and is based on a Volvo C30, features individual electric wheel motors and batteries that can be charged via a normal electric wall socket.
Once the battery is 70% drained, the car's 1.6-litre Flexifuel engine starts up to recharge it.
The driver also has the option of switching the engine on and off in order to use the stored battery power at the most efficient times.
The battery can be recharged from empty in three hours, although a one-hour charge is enough to give the car a 30-mile range.
Acceleration from 0-62mph takes 9 seconds and the car has a top speed of 100mph.
Carbon dioxide emissions are estimated at being 66% lower than a conventional car, depending on the source of the electricity.
Operating costs for the car are estimated at 80% lower than a conventional car when in electric mode.
If a driver goes beyond the battery's range and the engine kicks in, economy on a 93 mile (150km) journey is 124mpg. Once the battery is run down and the engine provides full power, it records about 45mpg.
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