Volvo Cars and Vattenfall AB are today presenting the jointly developed Volvo V60 diesel plug-in hybrid in Berlin. The V60 with its combined diesel-electric drive is distinguished by low carbon emissions of less than 50 grams per kilometre and a fuel consumption of 1.9 litres per 100 kilometres. The car is the first product jointly developed by Volvo Cars and Vattenfall. Series production is due to start as early as next year.
Minimal carbon emissions – perfect driving pleasure
“Vattenfall and Volvo are together driving the development of vehicles to dramatically improve the carbon footprint in the mobility sector. Using electricity from renewable energy sources, the diesel plug-in-hybrid affords a minimised carbon footprint. The common project underscores that new and innovative drive types will become a reality very soon”, said Ulrich Frieser, Head of E-Mobility Development at Vattenfall.
Besides offering the right charging infrastructure for secure charging, Vattenfall is also developing an electricity product that will use the output of dedicated wind farms. The cars will therefore be charged with certified green electricity from in-house wind turbines.
The V60 plug-in hybrid combines the best of plug-in cars and diesel vehicles for the customer: Besides fuel efficiency and a small carbon footprint, the range and excellent driving performance of the vehicle are compelling.
By pressing a button on the dashboard, the driver can choose the driving mode: Pushing the ’Pure’ button will have the car exclusively use electric energy (range: up to 50 kilometres). The ’Hybrid’ key will switch the car over to a highly efficient hybrid system: In this mode, both drives will contribute driving energy; the electric engine will, for example, back up the diesel engine during acceleration. The range of the car will in this case rise to 1200 kilometres. The Power mode makes 215 plus 70 hp available, which is sufficient to accelerate the car from 0 to 100 km/hr in just 6.9 seconds.
The Volvo V 60 can be charged on a standard electrical outlet. The charging time, depending on the current, may vary between three and 7.5 hours.
Cooperation venture between Vattenfall and Volvo
The cooperation between Vattenfall AB and Volvo Car Corp. started in January 2007, aiming to test and advance the plug-in technology. This cross-sector initiative has been supported by establishment of a joint-venture company, the ’V2 Plug-in-Hybrid Vehicle Partnership’. The development of innovative technology is co-financed by the two enterprises.
Innovative solutions for metropolitan regions
Through its Dutch subsidiary N.V. NUON, Vattenfall is operating the charging infrastructure for plug-in vehicles in Amsterdam. In addition to 100 public charging stations already installed in the city, Vattenfall signed an agreement with the Amsterdam city government early this year which provides for the delivery and operation of a further 2500 charging stations.
In Germany, Vattenfall is pioneering in electromobility, having tested future-oriented mobility concepts with various partners for – and in – metropolitan regions since 2008. Besides ensuring the supply of renewable energy to vehicles, Vattenfall looks after setting up a charging infrastructure and offers innovative solutions for private and public charging. The focus is on smart charging concepts allowing for plug-in fleet operation and offering ecological benefits. For example, cars will preferably be charged at times when ample amounts of wind energy are available (wind-to-vehicle) and the load in the network is relatively low. The car batteries can thus be used for short-term storage of electricity from renewable resources. The Vattenfall charging concept therefore harmonises four essential factors with each other: the available renewable energy, the rate of utilisation of the local electricity system, individual charging requirements and the technical setting.
Source: Vittenfall http://www.vattenfall.com/en/press-details-hidden.htm?newsid=BD78B2A36ED9473C9FE3A3BC2A38DC3C
