The partnership between the two companies will focus on electric drive technology, power electronics, charging technology and the integration of all those systems in Volvo’s existing C30 Electric project.
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Volvo’s Australian division has also expressed interest in the car. "The C30 Electric is the next step in green motoring from Volvo,” said Volvo Car Australia Public Affairs Manager, Jaedene Hudson. “We've seen the initial information from Volvo Cars Corporation and have expressed interest in the car. The next stage will be to put together a business case to see if the car will be viable in our market,” Hudson added.
The electric vehicle’s batteries can be recharged from a normal socket, with a full charge requiring 7 hours and offering a driving range of 150 km or close to 100 miles. The C30 Electric accelerates from 0-50 km/h (0-30 mph) in 4 seconds, and its top speed reaches 130 km/h (80 mph).
With even the likes of Porsche going green – not to mention the Chevrolet Volt or the Nissan Leaf, it's no surprise that Volvo wants a piece of the "Look at me, I'm saving the planet!" action.
They partnered up with Powercell Sweden AB (with backing from the Swedish Energy Agency) and hope that the Volvo C30 DRIVe Electric will be ready for testing on the road by 2012.
"This is an exciting expansion of our focus on electrification. Battery cost and size means that all-electric cars still have a relatively limited operating range. Fuel cells may be one way of extending the distance these cars can cover before they need to be recharged" Volvo Cars President and CEO Stefan Jacoby said. "What is more, the project gives us increased knowledge about fuel cells and hydrogen gas".
The project is in its early stages, the focus being on the range of the car. And it's no surprise, as no EV can stand a chance these days if it can't go at least 40-60 miles on one charge.
To achieve this, Volvo is cooking up -wait for it- a Range Extender. A reformer, tasked with breaking down liquid fuel and creating hydrogen gas. This gas then goes into the fuel cell and gets converted to electrical energy powering the motor.
The advantage of the process is that it's creating electricity without any emissions of carbon oxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and particles whatsoever. On other thing is that the reformer can just as easily break down renewable fuels, like ethanol.
Volvo expects the Range Extender to, well, extend the range of the car by up to 250 kilometers (155 miles), in addition to the range provided by the battery pack.
By Csaba Daradics
Press Release
EVOLVE : This year, EVOLVE is focusing its talents on the all-new Volvo C30. While details will be held for the unveiling at SEMA, it can be disclosed that it will have a strong emphasis on cutting edge design and motorsports technology. Stunning aesthetics will combine with staggering performance capabilities for the ultimate Volvo attention getter.
HEICO SPORTIV: HEICO's concept for this year's SEMA Show is a versatile, sporty interpretation of the C30. Built for the outdoor enthusiast, with European styling, handling, and power, but retaining solid functionality in the snow and rain. HEICO is pleased to be partnering with the leader in outdoor sport on this project, Burlington Vermont-based
Active enthusiasts expect flexibility as well as performance, and the HEICO C30 features all-wheel drive, making it the perfect performer on the street and on the mountain. At home on the switchbacks or on the slopes, the HEICO C30 concept is part Paris-Dakar raider, part efficient weekend gear hauler, and part stylish, sporty performer.
ipd: ipd's recipe for this year's SEMA show takes an already potent 220 horsepower (European-spec engine) turbocharged powertrain and massages it to nearly 400 horsepower with software upgrades and a belt-driven supercharger. Next, throw in a leading-edge mobile electronics package conceived by Alpine and Apple with native i-Tunes technology. Blend with the curvaceous body on fully adjustable coil over suspension, sexy alloys and hot, sticky rubber. Sprinkle in a big brake package that makes stopping as fun as accelerating. Wrap it all in a wild Swedish flag themed paint and interior and you've got ipd's C30 SEMA Concept.
An online leak which lead to the premature unveiling of nearly half a dozen of pictures has spoiled Volvo’s official presentation of it’s brand new compact hatchback, the C30. The Swedes had planned to surprise the public by unveiling the C30 next week.Due to be launched at the Paris Motor Show in September, the C30 will broaden the Volvo range, giving the Swedes a serious contender against the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3, Volkswagen Golf etc.
Based on the Volvo S40 / V50 platform (which in turn, is based on the Ford Focus generation II platform), the C30 will be available with the same engine range that include 4 & 5cylinder motors (1,6, 1,8 & 2,4 litre). While the C30 design concept was equipped with a 260 Hp 5cylinder 2.4 turbo, the top production version is said to wear the Ford Focus 2.5 Turbo engine that will produce about 220 Hp.
Technorati Tags: Volvo+C30, official, production+version, images, pictures, 2007, autos, auto+news, automobile, cars, automotive
Premium Hatchback, 4 Individual seats, 4.25 m Length, S40 / V50 based, 109 Hp 1.6 petrol, 180 Hp 5cylinder D5 Turbo Diesel & 220 Hp 2.5 T5 Turbo enginesA few days after the first photographs of Volvo’s 2007 C30 leaked on the internet, the Swedes came out officially presenting their all new premium hatchback which will rival cars like the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, VW Golf etc. The stylish C30 will be available in
Comments: Fredrik Arp, CEO Volvo: “The new Volvo C30 is a cool car. A car that aims for a group of young singles, or couples, with busy urban lives. These people prioritise excitement in design and driving characteristics, and this car is designed to suit their taste and lifestyle”
“The new Volvo C30 plays an important role in our push towards a volume of 600,000 cars a year. We are broadening our model programme to make it possible for new, younger customers with a busy lifestyle to choose a Volvo with the right appeal as early as possible”
Press Release Dynamic design. Individual style: The design of the production-ready model closely resembles the Volvo C30 Design Concept, which was first shown at the Detroit Motor Show in January this year.
Volvo offers high-class audio systems for the new C30 – and true audiophiles can choose the ultimate Premium Sound system, with a digital 5x130W ICE Power amplifier from Alpine®, Dolby® Pro Logic II Surround Sound, and 10 Dynaudio® speakers.
Room for four adults: The new Volvo C30 has room for four adults thanks to the two separate folding rear seats with generous head and leg room. The rear seats are slightly centred to provide a feeling of space and a good forward view. The space between the seats also makes Volvo’s unique, ultra-thin centre stack clearly visible through the glass tailgate.
Performance: engines from 1.6 (100PS) to T5 (220PS): The new Volvo C30 has a wide selection of engines, ranging from a 100PS, four-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol engine and a clean, efficient four-cylinder, 1.6-litre diesel with 109PS, to the five-cylinder D5 diesel and T5 petrol turbo engines, providing 180PS and 220PS respectively.
At 4.25 metres long the C30 is the smallest member of Volvo’s model range – 22cm shorter than the current smallest Volvo model, the Volvo S40 saloon.
The Volvo C30 will also be available with BLIS (Blind Spot Information System), which helps the driver to identify another vehicle in the blind spot at the rear sides of the car. The front has the same patented structure as the Volvo S40 saloon or V50 Sportswagon.
Production and volumes:The global volume target for the new Volvo C30 is 65,000 cars per year. Volvo expects that 75 per cent of the buyers will be in Europe and the largest markets will be
The Volvo C30 SportsCoupe is a welcome addition to the Volvo C-range, complementing the recently launched Volvo C70 coupe/convertible. The stylish Volvo C30 will appeal to a wide range of customers and competes with other compact premium models typified by the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3.
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