Volvo Pairs Diesel and Hybrid Power in an Efficient Wagon

Volvo’s recent history is replete with hybrid-electric vehicles, from the groundbreaking high-speed turbine Environmental Concept Car (ECC) we drove back in 1993 to the C30-based ReCharge plug-in hybrid concept unveiled just two years ago. As cool as they’ve been, these vehicles have all remained in the concept or demonstration stage.

Now, thanks to a joint venture with Swedish energy company Vattenfall, Volvo is ready to put a plug-in hybrid into production by 2012. And as a diesel-electric hybrid, Volvo’s new plug-in will pack a pairing of high efficiency technologies offering the potential for a major jump on the competition.

Specific details of the production plug-in hybrid have yet to be announced, but the demonstration vehicle currently undergoing testing should give a good indication, as Volvo says the technology will be similar. The test vehicle is based on the V70 wagon, with a front-drive diesel engine supplemented by an electric motor driving the rear wheels. An 11.3 kWh lithium-ion battery pack has the capacity to drive the vehicle up to about 31 miles on a single charge.

Custom built for this test program by American battery maker Ener1, the battery takes four to six hours to charge when users plug in to a standard wall socket via a port just aft of the front wheel well. An additional charge port beneath the fuel cap is designed to interface with fast charging stations developed by Vattenfall, and will charge the battery in 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

A fleet of three such demonstration vehicles are being tested in Europe to allow gathering feedback about driving habits as well as real world charging needs. Under the terms of the joint venture, Volvo will manufacture the cars while Vattenfall will develop charging stations and supply the cars with electricity. Various charging concepts will be tested including high-speed home charging and stations in public places. Customers will be able to sign an agreement that sources electricity from renewable wind or hydropower.

Volvo’s environmental vision for the future, which it calls DRIVEe Towards Zero, denotes a suite of efficiency improving technologies including better aerodynamics and start/stop capability that’s offered on Volvo’s most fuel efficient vehicles. With innovations like a series production diesel plug-in hybrid, DRIVe could come to represent much more. -Ron Cogan