First 250 Volvo C30 Electric Cars To Be Delivered in H2 2011

After meeting the most stringent tests, including the ones performed in Kiruna at minus 18 degrees Celsius, the Volvo C30 Electric is now ready to be delivered to the first customers. Specifically, the Swedish automaker announced that deliveries of the initial batch of 250 cars to selected customers in Europe will begin during the second half of 2011.

According to Lennart Stegland, director of Volvo Cars' Special Vehicles, the cars will go to to Sweden, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, USA and China. Depending on the demand, Volvo also considers increasing production.

"It is estimated that by 2020 between five and ten percent of cars in Sweden will be powered by electricity. Around 2020-2025 we expect that electric cars will have conquered three to ten percent of the EU market share. Different markets have different potentials," said Stegland.

If the Volvo C30 Electric is recharged with renewable energy, for instance from windpower or hydropower, the car has almost no climate impact and produces no local emissions.

The model accelerates from 0 to 70 km/h (44 mph) in 6.5 seconds and has a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph). The certified range according to the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) is 163 km (101 miles). However, Volvo Cars specifies up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) as the car's practical range.

“This in combination with the superior energy-efficiency of an electric motor compared with a combustion engine suggests that electric cars are all set to become increasingly common in the future,” Volvo says. “Electric vehicles use relatively little electricity, and the increasing demand will be more than covered by the ambitious expansion plans for renewable energy sources all over Europe. One single windpower turbine, for instance, produces sufficient renewable energy to power 3,000 electric cars.”