Design award and top positions for Volvo Car Corporation at Michelin Challenge Bibendum

All of Volvo Car Corporation's three cars the 11th Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Berlin achieved top results in the international sustainability event.

• The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid got the Challenge Bibendum 2011 Design Contest award in the category for vehicles with internal combustion engines.
• The Volvo C30 Electric came in shared first place in the 130-kilometre rally plus awards for handling, well to wheel CO₂ emissions and local emissions. All in all, 13 cars took part in the rally.
• The Volvo V50 DRIVe came in third in the 300-kilometre rally with awards for fuel efficiency. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid came fifth among the 16 cars in the long rally and was awarded for its acceleration. The car can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds.

"We are very happy with the results. They reflect Volvo Car Corporation's uncompromising attitude to green motoring. Performing well both in the energy efficiency rallies and in acceleration and handling tests prove that we have the ability to combine environmental technology with a full luxury car experience," says Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development at Volvo Car Corporation.

Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid - three cars in one
The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid, which made its official road test debut at Michelin Challenge Bibendum, integrates the very best properties from three different car types. The driver chooses the preferred driving mode via three buttons on the instrument panel: Pure, Hybrid and Power.
The car's front wheels are driven by a five-cylinder 2.4-litre turbodiesel producing 215 hp/440 Nm. The rear axle has a 70 hp electric motor, which receives power from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery.

Volvo C30 Electric - 150 km with almost zero emissions
The Volvo C30 Electric is as well-equipped, comfortable, sporty and safe as the standard C30 - while at the same time offering the driver a range of up to 150 kilometres per charge with almost zero carbon dioxide emissions.  The car has a 111 hp electric motor delivering 220 Nm of torque.

Volvo V50 DRIVe - 99 g/100 km
The Volvo V50 DRIVe is equipped with a 1.6-litre common rail turbo diesel featuring start/stop and several other refinements that bring CO₂ emissions down to 99 g/km. The engine produces 115 hp/270 Nm and fuel consumption (EU Combined) is 3.8 litres per 100 km.