Ford Motor Company's Volvo Cars division is poised to introduce a brand new concept model at the upcoming 2007 International Motor Show (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung, IAA) in Frankfurt. The Swedish automaker will present the ReCharge Concept, a new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).
The Volvo ReCharge Concept will be equipped with individual electric wheel motors and batteries that can be recharged through electrical outlets. The ReCharge Concept will be installed in a Volvo C30 and will make its debut in front of the European crowd at IAA Frankfurt.
"A certain proportion of electrical vehicles will be necessary to meet the CO2 emission demands of the future. Since the Volvo ReCharge Concept combines an excellent battery range with a backup combustion engine, it is a very interesting concept." says Magnus Jonsson, Senior Vice President Research and Development at Volvo Cars.
"This plug-in hybrid car, when used as intended, should have about 66 percent lower emissions of carbon dioxide compared with the best hybrid cars available on the market today. Emissions may be even lower if most of the electricity in intended markets comes from CO2-friendly sources such as biogas, hydropower and nuclear power. The only requirement is that the car owner has access to electrical outlets at convenient places, such as at home or at the workplace. A full recharge takes 3 hours. However, even a one-hour quick charge should provide enough charge to drive about 50 kilometres." he added.
Volvo engineers developed the ReCharge Concept at the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center (VMCC) in Camarillo, California. This latest powertrain from the Swedish automaker combines the several technical innovations found today. The ReCharge Concept is equipped with a battery pack made of lithium-polymer that features an impressive longevity. Each wheel of the C30 ReCharge Concept comes with electric motors that provide independent traction power to the vehicle.
Finally, C30 ReCharge Concept comes with a 1.6-litre Flexifuel engine with an advanced generator, called Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) that provides power to the vehicle when the battery ran out of energy. In addition, the driver can also choose which power source will be used to drive the Volvo C30 ReCharge Concept. The driver can switch between two power sources: the battery or the 1.6-litre Flexifuel engine via a button on the instrument panel.
This offers an excellent fuel economy for the customers. When fully charged, the ReCharge Concept only consumes about 2.8 litres of fuel for 93 miles of driving range. This shows an effective fuel economy of 1.9 l/100km or 124 mpg.
Ichiro Sugioka, project manager for the Volvo ReCharge Concept concluded:
"There is a considerable difference between our plug-in hybrid and today's hybrids. Today's hybrids use the battery only for short periods to assist the combustion engine. Our solution is designed for most people to run on electric power all the time, while providing the extra security that comes with having a combustion engine as a secondary source of electrical power. What is more, our C30 with plug-in hybrid technology retains its lively and sporty driving properties. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes 9 seconds and top speed is 160 km/h."
Other affiliate automotive companies of Ford Motor Company like Mazda (maker of quality models with quality Mazda auto parts) should also develop alternative powertrain systems like this.
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