Volvo ReCharge

Volvo Recharge Built for The Future

Type: Plug-in series hybrid
Class: Hatchback
Manufacturer: Volvo Car Corporation

Specifications:

Propulsion system: Four in-wheel electric motors, 4-cylinder 1.6 litre. Flex-fuel engine
Top Speed: 100 mph
Zero-to-62: 9 seconds
MPG: 124 mpg (1.9 l/100km)
Vehicle range: Battery 62 miles
Fuel(s): Electricity, gasoline, E85
Battery pack: lithium-polymer (full recharge: 3 hours)
Tailpipe emissions: Yes

The Volvo ReCharge is a concept car built into a specially designed Volvo C30 and it had its premiere in the fall of 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Volvo Recharge is a series hybrid, meaning there is no actual connection between engine and wheels (the Chevy Volt is also considered a series hybrid). With the aide of British electromagnetic specialists PML Flightlink, Volvo has put together a dynamite powertrain that offers enough mileage on the battery alone to make the gas engine little more than a security blanket—the perfect means of weaning us all off of gasoline and other fossil fuels.

The successful premiere of the Volvo ReCharge might be responsible for kicking their plug-in program into high gear. The company recently laid out some plans to put a few plug-ins into the Swedish government fleet, but it is unlikely that these vehicles will possess much of the technology or specs found in the ReCharge.

Nonetheless, with the Volvo Recharge, the company has grasped the true value of the plug-in for the wary, gasoline-dependent consumer: a rechargeable, functional electric car with a solid range that features a ‘token’ gas engine. Why? Not so much to extend its range, but to ease our transition off gasoline and towards alternative fuels such as electricity.

Posted in: Future Cars