Volvo’s new V60 Plug-in Hybrid
A while back, the people at Volvo announced that 2012 will see the launch of a new hybrid model, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid. Developed in conjunction with the Swedish company Vattenfall AB, the new hybrid model will feature a V60, 2.4 liter, 5-cylinder diesel engine and an electric motor, known as ERAD, which stands for Electric Rear Axle Drive, which will be powered by a 12 kWh ion-lithium battery.
When running under traditional diesel power, the model develops 215 HP and 440 Nm which is all routed to the front wheels because the rear wheels are catered to by the electric motor. The electric motor is capable of producing an extra 70 HP.
Thanks to the way it was designed, the model will come with three driving settings: Pure, Hybrid and Power.
When driving with the “Pure” setting, you will only be using the electric motor and be able to travel for about fifty kilometers with zero emissions.
The “Hybrid” setting, as the name implies, will see you using both engines at the same time, the people at Volvo claim that the diesel engine only eats 1,9/100 km – with carbon dioxide emissions amounting to 49g/km.
The “Power” setting is to be used when your battery is low or when you really need the torque that the diesel engine is capable of producing. When running in “Power” mode the car will reach 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds and have a combined autonomy of over 1.200 kilometers.
Orders for the model will be taken starting with the spring of 2012, however they won’t be supplied till November, also initially only a limited number of a thousand vehicles will be available ranging in price from 50.000 to 60.000 Euro.
