First official Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid test drive to take place in Berlin at Challenge Bibendum

Volvo V60 Hybrid

Three Volvo car models will be taking part in the 11^th Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Berlin (18-22 May 2011), the theme of which is Clean-Safe-Connected: the Volvo V60 Plug-in hybrid; the Volvo C30 Electric; and the Volvo V50 DRIVe. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid, which will be available on the market in 2012, is the result of close cooperation between Volvo Cars and Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall.

The first official road test drive with the Volvo V60 Plug-in hybrid will take place during the event. The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid offers a driver-selected choice of driving modes via three buttons on the instrument panel: Pure, Hybrid and Power.

• In Pure mode the car runs only on its electric motor as much as possible. The driving range is up to 50 km (31 miles).
• In the default Hybrid mode the diesel engine and electric motor interact to provide a balance between driving pleasure and low environmental impact. Emissions of CO₂ (NEDC) are 49 g/km, corresponding to diesel fuel consumption of 1.9 l/100 km (124 mpg US)). The car’s total range is up to 1200 km (746 miles).
• In Power mode the technology is optimized to give the car the best possible performance. The diesel engine and electric motor have a combined power output 215 + 70 horsepower and maximum torque of 440 + 200 N·m.

The car’s front wheels are driven by a five-cylinder 2.4-liter turbodiesel producing 215 hp/440 N·m. The rear axle has a 70 hp electric motor, which receives power from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Source: Green Car Congress