Volvo Car Corporation launches joint project for the development of plug-in hybrid cars in Sweden
Volvo Car Corporation has joined forces with three other Sweden-based companies and the Swedish government to launch a broad-based research and development venture in the area of plug-in hybrid vehicles. Sweden will be the arena for the field tests.
"I see this project as a positive further development of sustainable personal transport", says Fredrik Arp, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation. "We have a unique opportunity to take the lead when it comes to innovations for advanced green-car technology."
The aim of the project, to be carried out jointly by Volvo Car Corporation, Saab Automobile AB, electricity provider Vattenfall AB and ETC Battery and Fuel Cells Sweden AB, is to develop and demonstrate the next-generation hybrid vehicles. A fleet of 10 plug-in hybrids will be produced with batteries that can be recharged directly from a wall power socket found in most homes.
The joint operation will provide all members the opportunity to participate in and shape decisions and initiatives in the field of sustainable mobility.
"We want to be involved in setting up the rules for the future and to help build up broad-based competence in Sweden in this vital area," says Arp.
Over a five-year period, Volvo Cars will invest more than 11 billion SEK to develop technologies to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. In Europe, Volvo Cars already offers one of the industry's widest ranges of Flexifuel engines. The joint initiative will work in conjunction with the company's on-going efforts to enhance the efficiency of its petrol- and diesel-powered cars.
Volvo Cars is also focusing intensively on hybrid technology. In the medium term, the company will introduce hybrid variants where an electric motor supports the combustion engine. In the longer term, plug-in hybrids will be introduced. One example of the company's vision was unveiled in September 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show as the Volvo C30 ReCharge Concept. The concept car cuts emissions of carbon dioxide by up to 65 percent compared with the hybrid cars available on the market today. If the electricity source is from CO2-sustainable sources such as hydropower and wind power, this figure improves still further.
"Within the next decade, we will see more electric vehicles on our roads," says Arp.
