Volvo creates first diesel Plug-in Hybrid

Volvo has released the details and images of the new Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid which was created by a joint venture between Volvo and Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall.

This new model is the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid and will be launched in 2012.

The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is equipped with a five-cylinder 2.4-litre D5 turbo diesel engine that sends 215 hp and 440 Nm of torque to the front wheels and giving the rear wheels power is a 70 HP electric motor that receives juice from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Controlling the power is a six-speed automatic transmission.

The car’s battery can be recharged via a regular power socket and a full charge takes around 4.5 hours .(3 hours with 16A)

The driver can choose from three different modes via a set of push buttons on the center console: Pure, Hybrid and Power.

Pure mode:
This allows the car to run on just the electric motor and gives a driving range of up to 32 miles (51 kilometers) while producing zero emissions.

Hybrid mode:
This is the default setting for when the car is started and makes use of both the diesel engine and electric motor. With this mode activated, the Volvo V60 Plug in Hybrid returns a fuel economy of up to 125 mpg while producing just 49 g/km of CO2 emissions.

Power mode:
In this mode the vehicle is optimized to give the best possible performance, with the diesel engine and electric motor working together to produce a combined output of 285 hp. With this mode selected the V60 can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds.

Volvo has stated that due to the increased cost of fitting a battery pack and electric motor system means that the V60 plug-in hybrid will be more expensive than a standard V60, but with the fuel costs expected to be one-third of a conventional combustion engine V60, customers will eventually save money in the long run.

Pricing and availability will be announced closer to 2012 when the vehicle is launched.

Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid Gallery