When Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation, presented the new XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept at Detroit this week, he described it as ‘actually three cars rolled into one’.
At the touch of a button, the driver decides how the available power from the combination of the high-performance petrol engine and the electric motor is to be utilised.
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The driver chooses the driving mode via three buttons on the instrument panel. The buttons give the car three distinct temperaments: Pure, Hybrid or Power.
- In Pure mode the car is powered solely by its electric motor as much as possible. The range according to the European certification driving cycle NEDC is 28 miles.
- Hybrid mode is the standard setting whenever the car is started. The petrol engine and electric motor co-operate to provide maximum driving pleasure with minimum environmental impact. According to the European certification driving cycle NEDC,CO2 emissions are 53 g/km (2.3 l/100 km) – which translates into fuel economy of over 100 mpg. The car has a total operating range of up to 600 miles (960 km).
- In Power mode, the technology is optimised to create maximum possible power. The petrol engine with 280 hp and 380 Nm (280 lb.-ft.) is combined with the electric motor with 70 hp and 200 Nm (148 lb.-ft.). The electric motor’s instant torque delivery contributes to the car’s acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds (0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds).
“No other manufacturer delivers fuel economy and electrical range on this level in a capable performance car with a total of 350 horsepower,” said Stefan Jacoby.
“The beauty with this plug-in hybrid technology is that you can keep all the power and capacity of your present car, combined with an even better range,” Stefan Jacoby said. “The XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept gives you up to 35 miles all-electric range. Or you can drive it as a super-efficient hybrid with a fuel economy of over 100 miles per gallon according to the European driving cycle.”
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An electric motor producing 70 horsepower – combined with a 280 horsepower, four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine – also gives the driver a total of 350 horsepower.
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By GlobalData“The XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept features an engine from our all-new, state of the art, four-cylinder engine family. Our new four-cylinder powertrains will get performance on today’s six-cylinder level. At the same time, they will also give consumers better fuel economy than present four-cylinder engines,” Stefan Jacoby said.
He added: “A diesel-electric plug-in hybrid is coming to our European dealers this year and we are busy preparing a gasoline version for the American showrooms.”
Volvo Car Corporation’s North American dealers welcomed the introduction of a plug-in hybrid.
“A gasoline plug-in hybrid would be an excellent addition to our product offer,” said Patty Hooley, member of Volvo’s North American Dealer Council. “To me, the plug-in hybrid speaks both classic Volvo safety and responsibility as well as cutting edge Volvo innovation.”
Jacoby also said that electrification is one of our four major focus areas for Volvos and that the three cars in one plug-in hybrid ‘takes hybrid technology into the next level’.
“This ingenious blend of state-of-the-art combustion technology and innovative electrification creates a bridge to a future where all-electric cars become more established on the roads.”
“In the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept we demonstrate that our forthcoming four-cylinder engines offer the same high performance as today’s sixes. At the same time, their fuel consumption will be lower than in current four-cylinder engines,” says Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Car Corporation.
“It’s time to stop counting cylinders,” Mertens says. “Four-cylinder engines are the most effective way to quickly reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption without compromising customer expectations when it comes to driving pleasure and performance.”
