Volvo says it is increasing production of the V60 Plug-in Hybrid by 90 percent to keep up with the demand, originating mainly from Holland, Belgium and Italy. This means that production at Volvo Cars’ Torslanda plant in Sweden will be boosted from 150 to 282 units per week. For the entire 2013, Volvo Cars will produce 7,600 plug-in hybrids, with the 2014 target being 10,000 units.
“We are exceptionally pleased that the V60 Plug-in Hybrid has received such a fantastic reception among consumers,” said Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development at Volvo Car Group.
The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid that comes with a combined fuel consumption of just 1.8 liters/100 km (130.6 US mpg), corresponding to CO2 emissions of 48 g/km in the default hybrid mode. There are three driving modes: Pure, Hybrid or Power.
The car can cover up to 50 km (31 miles) on pure electric power, but it can also go fast, considering that the combined output of the diesel engine and electric motor is 215+70 horsepower, while torque is 440+200 Nm (324.5+147.5 lb-ft).
The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is the result of the cooperation between Volvo Car Group and the Swedish electricity supplier Vattenfall, with both companies having financed the development project. You can see how the V60 Plug-in Hybrid is produced in the video below.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
VIDEO