Volvo and Vattenfall join forces to develop hybrid vehicles and plug-in
A Volvo that can supply electricity from a standard outlet: it is a concept that will become reality in 2012 The Swedish company Vattenfall, producer and distributor of electrical energy, and Volvo Car Corporation launch joint. single industrial venture to introduce plug-in hybrid vehicles on the market. At first, the partners are investing a total of three billion kronor in the project, which represents approximately 280 million euros.
In January 2007, Volvo Car Corporation and Vattenfall launched a joint project with the objective to develop and test the plug-in technology. At present, cooperation passes the upper speed. "We are investing billions in an industrial joint venture to produce serials, Sweden, in 2012, hybrid vehicles and plug-in can be supplied both electricity than diesel. This commercial development, essential for us but also for our partnership with Vattenfall allows us to realize a giant step towards the solution is to offer customers vehicles with an even smaller environmental footprint, "stated Stephen Odell, President and CEO Volvo Car Corporation. Vattenfall and the Volvo Car Corporation believe that series production of plug-in hybrid vehicles and the development of infrastructure will generate new jobs and help Sweden to maintain its current position in the country at the forefront of pro-environmental technologies.
The vehicle can be recharged at home
One of the major advantages of plug-in hybrid vehicles is the fact that they can be charged from a normal outlet of the house. "We want to reinforce the importance of electricity in society and increase the key role to be played by the energy in the quest for solutions to remedy the climate problems. Thanks to this cooperation, we hope to accelerate the introduction of electric vehicles on the market. Together, we currently are developing the next generation of plug-in vehicles and facilities charging at home, "stated Lars G Josefsson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vattenfall. We carry out the design of these cars together and the same is true for funding. Volvo Car Corporation will then produce the vehicles and Vattenfall will develop charging systems and supply the cars with electricity from renewable sources.
An innovative ecological technology
The electricity energetics is a method that suits very well to cars. An electric motor has a high efficiency and consumes roughly a fifth of the energy required for an engine running on fossil fuels run. The vehicles will be supplied with electricity with renewable energy produced by Vattenfall and customers will be offered a contract to supply carbon-neutral electricity. Lars G Josefsson sees hybrid plug-in rechargeable many benefits, even when the electricity does not come from renewable energy. "With the electrical energy, we avoid the emissions from each individual vehicle. It is much easier to control the emissions of some major sources of production than those rejected by millions of exhaust pipes of individual vehicles. Vattenfall is working hard to become a carbon neutral company and to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions of any production of electricity, "explains Lars G Josefsson.
Hybrid vehicles plug-in will be powered by a powerful electric motor fed by a lithium-ion battery. It need about five hours to charge from a standard electrical outlet and the battery is also recharged whenever the car's brakes are actuated. "Most car journeys are short, for example, and return to work. We will be able to offer a product that will answer this need of transportation. In order to also cover longer distances, the car will also be equipped with one of Volvo fuel-efficient diesel engines. The latter is designed to be compatible with the renewable synthetic diesel and will provide extra energy to the vehicle if necessary. Once the diesel engine service, it also benefited from the assistance of the battery. In this mode of propulsion, it works like a traditional hybrid vehicle, saving more than 15% of fuel, "says Stephen Odell.
The customer benefits
The purchase price of the plug-in hybrid vehicles will be higher than that of cars with conventional technologies. The batteries are dear, but with this car rolling to electricity, fuel expenditures will be reduced to about one-third compared to a diesel driving. "The car is very pleasant to drive," stated Stephen Odell. "With the installation of the battery pack at the rear, the vehicle will be very stable and the extra torque of the electric motor which will ensure an acceleration sparks. Our customers will offer unique: just imagine for a moment what it will represent to be able to load the vehicle with you, driving without rejecting any emission of exhaust and have a roaring power under the hood "!
Demonstration vehicles presented this summer
During the summer of 2009, three Volvo V70 demonstration vehicles will be presented to the public. They will be used to gather information about the wishes and demands that drivers are likely to face in this new technology, to determine their driving habits and the way they want to recharge their cars. Vattenfall will test, among others, various concepts charging at home and charging stations in public places, or the owners pay to fuel with electricity rather than gasoline or diesel. Vehicles designed to be mass produced in 2012 will be equipped with a somewhat different technology, but the launch of the demonstration vehicles is a step closer to series production of plug-in hybrid vehicles specifically designed to meet the needs of walking.
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