Rough winter conditions put to proof the Volvo C30 Electric

The Volvo C30 Electric has been tested in rough winter conditions rough winter conditions to certify that the battery-powered car is able to run under temperatures as low as -20° Celsius.

Just like every other Volvo model the C30 Electric is being submitted to the same test regime, in order to fulfill all of the brand’s requirements. Besides these tests, others have been specifically developed for the electric vehicles. Over 200 different tests have been performed on the C30 Electric.

"We must ensure that the C30 Electric performs as intended when driving, parking and charging in a variety of conditions, from normal to very cold or hot. Northern Sweden is the perfect place to do sub-zero temperature testing," says Lennart Stegland, director of Volvo Cars' Special Vehicles.

The Volvo C30 Electric is equipped with three climate systems. One that is responsible for supplying the passengers with heating or cooling; one that cools or warms the battery pack as necessary; and the third one the electric motor and power electronics which are water-cooled.

Volvo has come up with an innovative solution for the C30 Electric, which enables to get comfortable heating in cold winter conditions without compromising the battery driving range. In the passenger compartment the climate control is made through a bio-ethanol powered heater. The car's ethanol tank can carry 14.5 litres of bio-ethanol.

The climate unit can also be run on electricity from the batteries. In electric mode the coolant in the climate unit is warmed up by an immersion heater.

"The driver can program and control the climate unit to suit the trip. Ethanol is the default mode that is used when the battery capacity is needed for driving extend mobility to its maximum. However, on shorter distances electricity can be used to power the climate system," explains Lennart Stegland.