The Volvo C30 Electric has been exposed to rough winter conditions in order to ensure that the battery-powered car runs smoothly in temperatures as low as -20° Celsius.
Volvo Cars’ requirements on the C30 Electric are just as stringent as on all other Volvo models and the battery-powered car is exposed to the same test regime. On top of this, several new test methods have been developed for the electric vehicles. All in all, over 200 different tests have been performed.
The Volvo C30 Electric features three different climate systems: one supplies the passengers with heating or cooling; one cools or warms the battery pack as necessary and the electric motor and power electronics are water-cooled.
Volvo also invented a new clever heating system for the C30 Electric. Climate control in the passenger compartment takes place via a bio-ethanol powered heater fitted in all cars. The car’s ethanol tank can carry 14.5 liters of bio-ethanol. This system can also use electricity from the batteries to work. In electric mode an immersion heater warms up the coolant in the climate unit.
“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, director of Volvo Cars’ Special Vehicles.
The electric Volvo 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 eight hours. If the car is recharged with renewable electricity, CO2 emissions could be almost zero in the well-to-wheel perspective.
Top speed with a fully charged battery pack is about 81mph (130km/h). Acceleration from 0 to 62mph (100km/h) takes less than 11 seconds. The car’s range is up to 150km (94 miles). This covers the daily transport needs of over 90% of all motorists in Europe.[wzslider height=”400″ lightbox=”true”]
