The Volvo V60: The World’s First Diesel Plug-in Hybrid
Volvo’s V60 Plug-in Hybrid is Volvo Car Corporation’s most technically
advanced model ever, and it might just change the face of hybrid technology. The V60 is the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid. It’s an
electric car, a hybrid car and a muscle car, all rolled into one.
The V60 plug-in Hybrid offers the driver three on-demand possibilities:
- Up to 50 km on pure electricity with zero tailpipe emissions.
- Super-efficient hybrid power with fuel consumption at 1,9 l/100 km and CO2 emissions at 49 g/100 km.
- Using the total of 285 hp to create a muscle car with acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 6.2 seconds.
Sales of the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid start at the beginning of
2012. The indicative price of the world’s first plug-in hybrid with
diesel engine is starting at EUR 57,000 depending on market.
Core Facts:
- After the initial batch of 1000 cars for model year 2013,
production of the V60 Plug-in Hybrid will increase to between 4000 and
6000 cars as of model year 2014. - About 30 percent of total volume will go to Sweden and the other
Nordic countries. Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands
and Britain will have a share of between 5 and 15 percent each. - Volvo Car Corporation expects that 80 percent of total sales will be company cars.
- The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is the result of close cooperation
between Volvo Car Corporation and Swedish electricity supplier
Vattenfall. The two companies financed the development project jointly. - The V60 Plug-in Hybrid is only available in Electric Silver livery.
The interior has black leather upholstery with contrasting stitching and
inlays of blue-grey wood. - The front wheels are powered by the five-cylinder 2.4-litre
turbodiesel with 215 hp and maximum torque of 440 Nm. The car has a
six-speed automatic transmission. - The rear axle is powered by an electric motor producing 70
horsepower. The electric motor is supplied with power from a 11,2 kWh
lithium-ion battery pack installed under the load compartment floor. - The driver selects the required driving mode via three buttons that
give the car three entirely different temperaments: Pure, Hybrid or
Power. - In Pure mode the car is powered solely by its electric motor with a range up to 50 kilometres.
- In Hybrid the diesel engine and electric motor cooperate to keep CO2
emissions (NEDC, mixed driving cycle for certification) down to 49 g/km
(1.9 l/100 km). The car has a total range of up to 1000 km. - In Power mode the technology is optimised to give the car a diesel
and electric power output of 215+70 horsepower. Maximum torque is
440+200 Nm. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 6.2 seconds. - The V60 Plug-in Hybrid is recharged from a regular power outlet
(230V). A full charge with 10A takes 4.5 hours. This is cut to 3.5 hours
with 16A, while a 6A charge takes 7.5 hours.