Volvo plans EV test fleet

Volvo Cars is building a test fleet of 50 electric Volvo C30s which will be used in real-life traffic from 2011.

Volvo Cars has unveiled the next-generation battery electric powered Volvo C30, and has announced a real-world test programme to start in 2011.

The electric C30 looks like a regular gasoline or diesel-engined Volvo C30 and offers the same safety, comfort, space and four seats as the standard car. It features a complete interior and full instrumentation, as well as enhanced battery packaging compared to the earlier C30 EV prototype, which was presented in September 2009.

“The first prototype helped us identify the main technological challenges, such as battery packaging and safety issues,” said Lennart Stegland, director of Volvo Cars Special Vehicles. “We have addressed these challenges without compromising the C30’s personality.”

The next step in the development process is a factory-built series of 50 test cars. Selected users will drive the test fleet during a two-year trial period beginning in 2011 in order to provide Volvo Cars with valuable experience - not just technical but also behavioural. The Swedish Energy Agency is supporting the project by contributing US$21 million towards its funding.

Valuable field data

A pure electric car has different characteristics compared to a car with an internal combustion engine and the test fleet will give Volvo experts the opportunity to study how users handle these differences. “Our test fleet data 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,” said Stegland.

The most obvious difference inside the car is the instrument panel - the gauges and graphics are different to those in a conventional Volvo. The combined instrument shows only road speed and energy consumption. However, it also integrates a number of new symbols such as a gauge for battery charge status and other relevant information for this type of vehicle.

The driving experience is also different to that in a conventional car. The electric C30 has no gears and the motor's power is delivered seamlessly, with full power available immediately.

“The power is there instantaneously. We need to spend a lot of time verifying a transmission system that is both comfortable and safe for the driver to handle and at the same time utilises the battery's capacity optimally at different speeds,” says Stegland.

Zero emissions

An electric motor uses about one-quarter as much energy as an engine running on fossil fuels. This superior energy efficiency suggests that interest in electric cars will increase as fuel prices rise and demands for low CO2 emissions become increasingly stringent.

The electric C30 is powered by Lithium-Ion batteries that can be recharged via either a regular household power socket or special roadside charging stations. Charging the battery fully takes about 8 hours. If the car is recharged with renewable electricity, well-to-wheel CO2 emissions could be almost zero.

The 82kW electric motor (equivalent to 111hp) gives a top speed with a fully charged battery pack of about 130kmh, and acceleration from 0 to 100kmh in less than 11 sec. The car’s range is up to 150 kilometres, which covers the daily transport needs of more than 90% of all motorists in Europe.

The electric motor is fitted under the bonnet while the 280kg, 24kWh battery pack is installed in the transmission tunnel and in the space normally occupied by the fuel tank, outside the passenger compartment and away from the deformation zones. The structure around them has been reinforced.