- The Volvo XC70 has been designed for China for the moment, but will strike other markets
- A 1.5 -liter engine can be coupled with 21.2 kWh or 36.9 kWh batteries
- DC fast load capacity will be standard
Volvo has revealed plans to launch a new XC70 model in China, which will carefully slip between its VAT XC60 and XC90, but will be offered in a version of rechargeable hybrid vehicle (PHEV) capable of traveling 124 miles on the battery alone.
While the Swedish company already offers an attractive range of hybrids in Europe and the United States, the company has traditionally opted for smaller and lighter batteries which offer around 50 miles in range.
Details of the next XC70 suggest that it can be optionized with batteries of 21.2 kWh or 36.9 kWh, which are larger than certain Pure EV city cars, such as Fiat 500E and Seagull Byd.
The CLTC beach test of China is generally more generous in terms of efficiency, so you can probably take the 124 miles of range with a pinch of salt in the real world (100-110 miles is more likely), but it is saved by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine if the batteries are dry.
In addition, Volvo claims that the upcoming vehicle is capable of quickly recharging DC, so that batteries can be completed approximately 80% in 28 minutes from the appropriate points of sale, while the bidirectional load is also supposed to appear.
According to Auto Express, the vehicle is intended for China, where the long -range rechargeable hybrids are all the rage, but the Swedish brand has not excluded bringing it to other markets “at a later date”.
Fill the gap
The long -range rechargeable hybrids, such as the Volvo XC70, have a lot of sense – especially for those who have a charge at home. Keeping the batteries on board means that the average daily mileage, which is as low as 19 miles per day in the United Kingdom, can easily be covered without disturbing the engine.
Even much longer trips can be sent with EV mode using the largest Volvo batteries, which means that only the longest trips must use fossil fuels.
Currently, the public load of electric vehicles is expensive in the United Kingdom and in a large part of Europe, which has been a key argument for many not to go to EV. If the load is as expensive as filling in fuel, then what is it for?
With Volvo technology, the owners could avoid the allegating charging costs found in the road service stations by choosing rather to rely on the internal combustion engine. Once at destination, it is therefore logical to search for cheaper and lower load to fill the batteries.
Offering this type of flexibility could be a huge draw for those who are currently seated on the fence of the pure electric vehicle and, as long as it is connected and mainly used as an electric vehicle, will reduce local emissions and could save money from the owners.
