Volvo wants in on the EV Business, Starts Developing C30 DRIVe Electric with Fuel-Cell Range Extender

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

READ MORE - Volvo wants in on the EV Business, Starts Developing C30 DRIVe Electric with Fuel-Cell Range Extender

Worldwide Recall for 2010-2011MY Volvo C30, S40 and V50

Volvo announced on Monday that it will recall 29,299 cars worldwide of which 536 were sold in the USA and around 6,700 in Britain, over a problem with the gearshift lever. The cars in question are certain 2010-2011MY C30s and 2010MY S40 and V50 models equipped with 6 speed manual transmissions.

According to the company, the gearshift lever stud assembly may not have been tightened to the correct specification during assembly which may lead to the ball-joint coming loose. If this occurs, it may not be possible to engage, disengage or shift gears.

Volvo said that its dealers will torque the gearshift lever stud assembly to the correct specification free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin this month. U.S. owners of the affected vehicles may contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552 or customercare@volvoforlife.com for more information.

READ MORE - Worldwide Recall for 2010-2011MY Volvo C30, S40 and V50

Volvo Introduces New 2.0-liter Five-Cylinder Diesel, Upgraded Six-Cylinder petrol engines

For the 2011 model year, Volvo is introducing a new five-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo diesel that will be available throughout its range while the Swedish automaker also upgraded the six-cylinder petrol engines offered on the S80, V70, XC70 and XC60.

The new five-cylinder diesel unit is in principle the same engine as the 2.4-litre diesel, but its displacement has been reduced (with a shorter stroke) to 2.0-liters. It will be offered in three different variants in terms of output.

In the S80, V70, XC70 and XC60, the newly developed 2.0-litre diesel produces 163HP and 400 Nm of torque. In these models the engine is badged the D3.

In the smaller C30 hatchback, S40 sedan, V50 estate and C70 coupe cabriolet, the new 2.0L unit is available in two flavors, the D3 with 150HP and 350 Nm of torque and the D4 with 177HP and 400 Nm of torque.

All the variants of the new 2.0-liter turbodiesel can be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox.

In addition, Volvo updated its 3.0-liter six-cylinder turbocharged petrol T6 that now offers 304HP and 440 Nm of torque.

The six-cylinder 3.2-litre naturally aspirated engine has also been upgraded and features an improved crankshaft and less internal friction. It now produces 243HP and maximum torque is 320 Nm.

In order to meet US legislative requirements, Volvo also offers a PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) variant of the same engine that produces 231HP and 300 Nm of peak torque.

READ MORE - Volvo Introduces New 2.0-liter Five-Cylinder Diesel, Upgraded Six-Cylinder petrol engines

Volvo Shows C30 Polestar Performance Concept with 405HP

This is the first official photograph of the Volvo C30 Polestar Performance concept that was revealed today at the Gothenburg Motor Show (22-25 April, 2010). The hot hatch was developed in cooperation with Volvo's racing partner, Polestar Performance, as a road car version of their C30 racer.

According to the company, the C30 Performance Concept Prototype "was designed to evaluate what happens when a Championship-winning team of race engineers and designers get free-rein to design and engineer a car rather than developing it to fit very specific race regulations."

It features a heavily modified version of the standard C30's 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five with a larger turbo and intercooler, and different pistons, conrods and inlet camshaft. The result is an output of 405HP and 510Nm or 376 lb-ft of peak torque.

The hatch uses a Haldex all-wheel drive system and a Quaife mechanical differential while Polestar's engineers upgraded the car's suspension, braking and steering wheel systems.

It also features an aerodynamic kit derived from the STCC race car, large 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in beefy Pirelli P Zero 235/35 ZR 19 tires, and leather racing seats with four-point harness.

Polestar C30 Performance Concept Prototype Technical Specification

Engine:

Volvo T5: 2.5L Turbo with larger intercooler and KKK 26 turbo
Modified pistons, conrods and inlet camshaft

Power Output: 405 hp. Torque: 510 Nm

Drivetrain:
Quaife mechanical differential brake front and rear
Haldex AWD

Chassis:
Öhlins shock absorbers and springs
More responsive steering rack with 2,25 ratio

Brakes:
Front: Brembo 380mm discs with six piston calipers
Rear: Brembo 330mm discs with four piston calipers

Rims and Tyres:
BBS FI 19x8,75"
Pirelli P Zero 235/35 ZR 19

Interior:

Racing seats with Ternsjö leather and four point harness

Exterior:

Aerodynamics derived from the STCC race car

READ MORE - Volvo Shows C30 Polestar Performance Concept with 405HP

Volvo Unleashes New C30 STCC Racer [with Video]

Volvo and its motorsports partner Polestar will begin this year's Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) season on 24 April at Jyllandsringen in Denmark with an updated version of their ethanol-powered C30 racer based on the facelifted production model.

The new race car gets a revised front end which is longer, lower and wider, with the Swedish automaker claiming that the new design delivers a higher ground pressure at the front, and an improved airflow right around the vehicle.

"This is the fastest Volvo I've ever driven," says Volvo Polestar driver Robert Dahlgren.

"We've worked very hard to take full advantage of the new C30 facelift, spending countless hours in the wind tunnel at Volvo Cars in the process," says Jan Andersson, Technical Director of the Volvo Polestar team.

Volvo recently extended its agreement with Polestar right through to the end of the 2012 season.

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READ MORE - Volvo Unleashes New C30 STCC Racer [with Video]

Volvo's Racing Partner Teases C30 Concept with AWD and 400HP

Volvo has teamed up with its racing partner 'Polestar Performance', which handles the firm's championship-winning Swedish Touring Car Team, to develop the C30 Performance Concept Prototype.

The idea behind the project is to create the ultimate C30 without being halted by specific race regulations. The concept includes a 400-horsepower engine, all-wheel-drive, and aerodynamics based on Polestar's race car data.

"We love the Volvo C30 - it's a great car with huge potential for development with its low weight and low centre of gravity. It's also a fantastic road car. But now we go much further by combining the road car with cutting edge racing technology," says Robert Dahlgren, race and development driver at Polestar.

The 400HP-strong C30 concept car will have its world premiere at the Gothenburg Motor Show on April 22.

READ MORE - Volvo's Racing Partner Teases C30 Concept with AWD and 400HP

Pure-Electric Volvo C30 to Debut at Detroit Show, Trial Runs Start in 2011

Volvo is the second automaker after BMW and its Concept ActiveE to announce the debut of a pure-electric model based on a production car at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show next January. And like BMW, Volvo plans to build a test fleet of at least 50 plug-in C30s, which will be used in real-life traffic from 2011.

The Swedes first showed us an electric C30 prototype in September 2009. Aside from being based on the facelift C30, the Detroit Show model has been further refined and now features both a complete interior and full instrumentation, as well as enhanced battery packaging.

"The first prototype helped us identify the main technological challenges, such as battery packaging and safety issues." said Lennart Stegland, Director of Volvo Cars Special Vehicles.

"We have addressed these challenges without compromising the C30's cool and fun-to-drive personality. I am very happy with the result. The electric C30 in Detroit is a much more complete product," Stegland concluded.

The latest plug-in C30 uses an electric motor fitted under the bonnet while the Lithium-Ion batteries (24 kWh) are installed in the propshaft tunnel and in the space normally occupied by the fuel tank, outside the passenger compartment and away from the deformations zones for safety reasons.

The Lithium-Ion batteries that can be recharged via either a regular household power socket or special roadside charging stations. The Swedes said that a full recharge takes about eight hours

The three-door hatchback has a top speed of about 130 km/h or 81 mph, while Volvo said that it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (96km/h) in less than 11 seconds. The car's driving range is up to 150 km or 94 mile, which Volvo claims covers the daily transport needs of more than 90 percent of all motorists in Europe.

Aside from the special graphics, colors and wheels, the electric C30 looks no different on the outside than a regular C30 while inside, the most obvious changes concern the new trim, revised instrument panel and the new gear selector.

READ MORE - Pure-Electric Volvo C30 to Debut at Detroit Show, Trial Runs Start in 2011

Conflict of Interest? Heico Sportiv Tunes the eco-friendly 2010 Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe

How much sense does it make to offer a performance package for an eco-friendly diesel car model that has been specifically designed to deliver maximum fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions? Not much if you ask us but anyways... This here is Heico Sportiv's tuning package for the recently unveiled 2010 Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe.

In factory form, the new Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe is powered by a 1.6-liter diesel with 109HP and 240Nm of torque. Combined with a wide range of fuel saving technologies such as start/stop system with brake-energy recovery and aerodynamically optimized components, this C30 returns an average fuel economy of 3.9 liters/100 km or 60.3mpg US.

Heico Sportiv's package includes new software for the diesel unit's ECU that increases output to 125HP and 280Nm. As a result, the tuned C30 1.6D DRIVe sprints from standstill to 100 km/h in 9.2 seconds, beating the series-production model by 2.1 seconds while achieving a top speed of 200 km/h (124mph), 10 km/h more than the series version. The tuner did not release any fuel economy figures for the model.

Also available is a sport suspension that lowers the vehicle's ride height by about 30mm.

The Volvo tuning specialist gives the C30's exterior a new look with a front spoiler that replaces the original lower base section of the bumper and a rear apron with an integrated diffuser housing quad tailpipes. Five or ten-spoke alloy wheels in sizes 18- and 19-inch that are available in various colors complete the looks.

The interior can also be decked out with numerous applications in aluminum or leather, such as the door pin set, shift stick grip, parking brake handle, pedal set and foot rest.

READ MORE - Conflict of Interest? Heico Sportiv Tunes the eco-friendly 2010 Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe

Volvo Announces UK Pricing for 2010 C30 and C70 Facelift Models

Volvo has released pricing for the UK market 2010 model year C30 sport hatchback and C70 hardtop convertible that were both unveiled for the first time at last month's Frankfurt Motor Show. The facelifted C30 is available in four trim levels S, SE, SE Lux and R-DESIGN and a choice of six engines with prices starting from £14,495 OTR for the entry-level 100HP 1.6 S petrol model rising to £21,360 OTR for the 180HP D5 turbo-diesel in SE Lux guise.

All C30s come equipped with standard features such as ECC (Electronic Climate Control), Information Centre, power windows, a leather steering wheel and gear knob, floor mats, CD player and an Aux input and alloy wheels as well as DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control.

The revised 2010 C70 cabriolet is offered in three trim levels, S, SE and SE Lux, and a choice of four engines, including two diesels, the 136HP 2.0D and 180HP D5 and two petrol derivatives, the 170HP 2.4i and the 230HP T5. The C70 range kicks off at £25,995 for the base 2.0D S.

Standard features include ECC (Electronic Climate Control), alloy wheels, front fog lights, power windows, information centre, cruise control, floor mats and a Performance Sound Audio System.

Volvo said that both models will arrive in UK showrooms this December, with first customer deliveries expected to take place in January 2010.

READ MORE - Volvo Announces UK Pricing for 2010 C30 and C70 Facelift Models