Photo: Volvo
Volvo Cars has just announced a concept called S60L PPHEV will make its debut at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show a bit later this month. PPHEV is short for Petrol Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle and the concept is actually a preview for their first performance plug-in, which is going on sale in 2015.
Volvo's press release make it sound like the S60L PPHEV is only for China, saying that it's going to "be produced at the Chengdu plant." But the model is way too cool not to be sold elsewhere. Borrowing technology from the hybrid V60, it drops the diesel for a much more powerful 238 hp Drive-E engine, which we think is the 2.0-liter turbo you get with some new T5 models.
“The creation of a powertrain with 238+68 hp and 350+200 Nm of torque by combining a petrol turbo from our new four-cylinder Drive-E engine family and an electric motor proves that the most efficient car can also be the most fun to drive. This is our most technologically advanced powertrain ever. It brings us closer to our vision to offer zero-emission motoring in the future,” says Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research and Development at Volvo Cars.
So that's 306 hp and 550 Nm of torque in the long wheelbase S60? Sounds impressive, but not as impressive as the 0-100 km/h acceleration in 5.5 seconds combined with fuel consumption of just 2.0l/100 km.
Swedish carmaker Volvo has been a champion of sustainable mobility. Their plug-in hybrid concepts were among the first to make it into production as premium vehicles, like the V60 Plug-in Hybrid. However, the market has changed a bit since that model came out, as German automakers are launching ever more performance hybrids, like the Panamera S E-Hybrid.
Their answer to the Germans will have quite a big 11.2 kWh battery and a crankshaft-driven ISG (Integrated Starter Generator). A full charge can take as little as 4 hours and last for up to 50 kilometers of pure electric driving.
“This on-demand possibility to choose between different driving modes makes the plug-in hybrid the perfect choice for the uncompromising customer who wants minimum carbon dioxide emissions combined with maximum driving pleasure,” says Peter Mertens. “The electric range covers the needs of most Chinese commuters, and the car has a total range of about 1,000 km in hybrid mode.”
“The creation of a powertrain with 238+68 hp and 350+200 Nm of torque by combining a petrol turbo from our new four-cylinder Drive-E engine family and an electric motor proves that the most efficient car can also be the most fun to drive. This is our most technologically advanced powertrain ever. It brings us closer to our vision to offer zero-emission motoring in the future,” says Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research and Development at Volvo Cars.
So that's 306 hp and 550 Nm of torque in the long wheelbase S60? Sounds impressive, but not as impressive as the 0-100 km/h acceleration in 5.5 seconds combined with fuel consumption of just 2.0l/100 km.
Swedish carmaker Volvo has been a champion of sustainable mobility. Their plug-in hybrid concepts were among the first to make it into production as premium vehicles, like the V60 Plug-in Hybrid. However, the market has changed a bit since that model came out, as German automakers are launching ever more performance hybrids, like the Panamera S E-Hybrid.
Their answer to the Germans will have quite a big 11.2 kWh battery and a crankshaft-driven ISG (Integrated Starter Generator). A full charge can take as little as 4 hours and last for up to 50 kilometers of pure electric driving.
“This on-demand possibility to choose between different driving modes makes the plug-in hybrid the perfect choice for the uncompromising customer who wants minimum carbon dioxide emissions combined with maximum driving pleasure,” says Peter Mertens. “The electric range covers the needs of most Chinese commuters, and the car has a total range of about 1,000 km in hybrid mode.”
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