Volvo reveals plug-in diesel car

Volvo has revealed details of a plug-in diesel hybrid, which it hopes will be on sale within the next three years.

It will be able to cover around 31 miles on battery power alone, with a diesel engine boosting the car’s total range to 745 miles.

The hybrid will boast fuel consumption of up to 124mpg and CO₂ emissions of 50g/km, but promises to retain the features for which Volvo has become well known. Stephen Odell, president and chief executive officer for the company, said: “Our new plug-in Volvo will be a truly enjoyable car to drive, featuring high safety and comfort standards.”

He added that when the car is released in 2012, it will have emission and consumption figures that are “as low as half that available on the market today”.

It is thought that a full battery charge will take around five hours.

CO₂ emissions lower than public transport

If the Volvo diesel/electric hybrid can deliver CO₂ emissions of less than 50g per km on its average cycle (not just when it is being driven by its electric motor) then it will be running more efficiently than almost every type of public transport.

Basing our figures on CO₂ emissions per passenger, per km in 2007/2008, we have compared the Volvo against public transport in London.

Mode of transport	CO₂ emissions per passenger per km (the number of passengers carried on average)
London underground	77.5g
Buses	83g
DLR	75g
Tram	40g
Overground trains	48g
Volvo hybrid	33g (based on average occupancy of 1.5 passengers

If the figure of 50g per km relates to its performance while running on battery power alone then the performance will still be impressive, but the source of the electricity would have to be sustainable in order for it to maximise its green credentials.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “It is widely assumed that the greatest environmental gains will come from electric cars, but super-efficient hybrids will deliver energy savings in the short term.”