Geneva: Volvo unveils diesel plug-in hybrid V60

Volvo will use the upcoming Geneva motor show to pull the covers off what it claims is the world's first diesel PHEV, a V60 wagon with an electric-drive range of about 50 km and CO2 emissions coming in below 50g/km.

Calling the display vehicle "virtually production-ready", the company has it scheduled for market in 2012.

Despite being categorised as a plug-in hybrid, the car doesn't merely deploy its internal combustion engine as an on-board battery charger to extend its electric-drive range. Nor does it mechanically integrate the diesel with the electric motor. Instead, Volvo has kept the formula relatively simple. They've left the front end alone -- under the bonnet is the familiar five-cylinder 2.4-litre D5 turbo diesel putting out 160kW through the front wheels.

But instead of the V60's normal passive rear end or mechanical AWD system distributing torque among all four wheels, the company has equipped this one with a 50 kW electric motor and a 12 kWh Li-ion battery pack.

In addition to the 440Nm going to ground up front, the electric rear-axle drive (ERAD) package puts an extra 200Nm down through the rear wheels. Volvo has supplemented the oiler's six-speed auto transmission with an electronic central management unit to sync the two powertrains. It offers three driving modes, selected by buttons on the dash.

On starting, it defaults to Hybrid mode, which melds power and torque from both ends with a skew towards economy. In Power mode, its engine management system regathers its resources to maximise performance. Pure electric mode gives the car up to 50 km of zero-emissions travel, depending on climate, terrain and driving style. Using both ends, its total potential range extends to about 1200km.

The result is a best-of-all-worlds package. Taking advantage of the electric motor's instant full torque delivery, it jumps off the mark and sprints from 0-100km/h in a claimed 6.9 seconds while averaging just 49g/km CO2 -- an emissions figure equivalent to 150 mpg or 1.9L/100km.

While the oiler isn't set up to charge the battery on the go, Volvo has put considerable thought into ways of allowing drivers to turn every last bit of battery power into road range. It has already developed a mobile app allowing remote operation of the HVAC system, for example, allowing drivers to preheat or precool the car while it's still on the charging plug. It has also equipped the car with lightweight, low rolling resistance wheels and made aerodynamic modifications.

The company doesn't say where the battery pack is mounted, but it has put plenty of R&D resources into carrying across its signature safety levels to the new vehicle. This has meant locating the power pack in a protective capsule outside of the car's crumple zones. It's equipped with sensors to shut it down in the event of a collision, and the containment capsule is set up to channel toxic gases escaping from a damaged battery out the bottom of the chassis.

The battery pack charges in around 4.5 hours off a standard 10A 240V domestic power outlet, or three hours off a 16A one.

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