Developed in partnership with European energy company Vattenfall, the plug-in V60 was developed in parallel with the automaker’s forthcoming C30 Electric, but that’s about where the similarities stop. The V60 sports all-wheel-drive, but allocates a 215-horsepower, 2.4-liter turbodiesel I-5 to power the front wheels, while a 70-horsepower electric motor propels the rear axle. A 12-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is also integrated into the system.
How that powertrain is used is left entirely to the driver’s discretion. Three different drive modes — including one that renders the V60 as a pure electric vehicle — are selectable from behind the wheel. The so-called Pure mode allows for up to 31 miles of EV-only driving. The conventional hybrid mode blends both power sources together to provide the most economical means of driving. A power mode combines both engine and electric motor to provide full power, and subsequently, all-wheel-drive.
In full power mode, the V60 PHEV can sprint from 0-62 mph in 6.9 seconds, but opting for the more efficient hybrid mode can allow up to 745 miles of travel before refueling the tank and recharging the battery. Volvo expects charging time to range from as little as three hours when using a 16-amp, 240-volt charger, to 7.5 hours when using a 230-volt, 6-amp supply — much like a conventional European household outlet. The car can also be pre-cooled or pre-warmed during charging, with those settings controlled either in the setup menu within the car in the car or via a mobile phone application. Read the rest of this entry »