Volvo wants to test the electric C30 in 2011

Volvo Cars will show at the Detroit Motor Show an updated version of the electric C30. Presented as a prototype in September, the electric vehicle with a range of 150km goes to Detroit further ahead in its development, with Volvo already thinking to start trials.

The brand’s next step is to build a test fleet of at least 50 electric Volvo C30s to be trialed in real-life traffic from 2011. The project will have the contribution of SEK 150 million from the Swedish Energy Agency and will assure the two-year trial period when selected drivers will drive the fleet and provide Volvo Cars with valuable technical and behavioral experience.

According to Lennart Stegland, Director of Volvo Cars Special Vehicles this trial “will be valuable in Volvo Cars' development of electric cars. It will also provide crucial input for the infrastructure planners and help define which services are needed to make rechargeable cars the most attractive choice in the future”.

The electric Volvo C30

From the outside the electric version of the C30 looks like a regular C30. The main differences between these two vehicles can be found in the interior, the engine and the drive experience.

In the interior the main difference can be spotted in the instruments facing the driver. In fact, the electric C30 comes with a user-friendly combined instrument that will show in principle only road speed and energy consumption. It will also have new symbols such as a gauge for battery charge status and other relevant information for this type of vehicle.

The drive experience of the electric C30 will be very different than a regular one as it comes with no gears and the motor's power is delivered seamlessly, with full power available immediately.

Powered by Lithium-Ion batteries, the Volvo C30 that will be presented at Detroit can be recharged via either a regular household power socket or special roadside charging stations. Recharging an entirely depleted battery via the regular household power supply system (230V, 16A) will take about eight hours.

The range of the all-electric powered car is approximately 150km, which covers the daily transport needs of more than 90 percent of all motorists in Europe. The electric C30 has a top speed of 130km/h and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in less than 11 seconds.