Monday, January 17, 2011

Volvo Electric C30

Volvo, long renowned for its safe and practical cars, is working on the forefront of automotive technology.  They are now developing a full electric (plug-in) vehicle for use as a commuting car or in an urban situation.  By using an existing platform of the Volvo C30, a compact 2 door hatchback, the car enables low impact driving with a very functional vehicle.

The C30 is currently sold in the US with a turbocharged 5 cylinder gasoline engine that makes 227 horsepower.  Volvo has removed the drivetrain and in its place, installed a lithium ion battery pack down the central spine of the vehicle, with a 111 HP electric motor driving the front wheels.  By placing the battery on the center of the C30, the battery is protected by the outer elements of the vehicle. Crash tests have proven this to be a very safe and reliable design, with forces experienced during crash testing causing no damage to the battery.  A crashed C30 has been displayed at the Detroit Auto Show demonstrating this technology.

Currently, Volvo is testing a fleet of the electric C30's in the frigid environs of their home city of Gotenburg Sweden.  Volvo is teaming with the local electric utility, and with a group of volunteer citizens,  in order to fully test the electric vehicle under all conditions.  Feedback and data from that experience has helped to design the this next generation of electric C30's. Test locations for this generation has not been disclosed.

If all goes well, we can anticipate that fully electric vehicles from Volvo will be introduced into the US in the next few years.  No estimate of costs are yet available.  The C30 will join the anticipated diesel/electric hybrid V70, which is expected in the EU sometime in 2012.