Volvo plugs in to Swedish green car program

DETERMINED not to let General Motors-owned Saab dominate the environmental agenda, the Ford-owned Volvo Car Corporation has divulged plans to develop plug-in hybrid cars in Sweden.

Volvo announced last week that it would invest around $2 billion over five years in a broad-based joint research venture with a number of organisations in its home country, including the Swedish government, the ElectroTechnological Centre and electricity provider Vattenfall.

The aim is to “develop and demonstrate the next generation of hybrid cars”, materialising as a fleet of 10 plug-in hybrids that will then undergo field testing in Sweden.



“We have a unique opportunity to take the lead when it comes to innovations for advanced green-car technology,” said Volvo Car president and CEO Fredrik Arp.

“Within the next decade, electric vehicles are going to be needed if we are to meet forthcoming CO2 legislation.” Volvo is still to introduce a hybrid powertrain for its passenger cars but has committed to the technology “in the medium term” and to plug-in variants further afield.

It provided a glimpse of the latter at the Frankfurt motor show last year with a plug-in hybrid car based on the C30 hatchback.

Known as the ReCharge Concept, the vehicle features electric motors in each wheel that are powered by lithium-polymer batteries (which are in turn charged via a regular power outlet).

According to Volvo, the ReCharge can be driven approximately 100km on battery power alone before the 1.6-litre “Flexifuel” four-cylinder engine – which itself runs on 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol – is needed to power the car.

Read more:

First look: Volvo plugs in