2007
Car enthusiasts will have to brace themselves for the unveiling of a green Volvo at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
A fuel efficient diesel edition of the Volvo C30 will debut at the 62nd International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt on September 13 to 23, 2007.
Volvo is among the car makers that will paint Frankfurt green with its Volvo ReCharge Concept, a plug-in hybrid for its C30 model that can be charged from an ordinary outlet and has a range per charge of 100 kilometers. According to Volvo, the ReCharge Concept can decrease carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 66 percent as opposed to other hybrids. Operating on battery energy with individual electric wheel motors, the Recharge Concept can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in nine seconds and reach top speeds of 160 kilometers per hour. The Volvo C30 with the ReCharge Concept was developed at the Volvo Monitoring and Concept Center in Camarillo, California.
This version of the C30 has a 1.6-liter turbo-diesel engine and, with a number of other changes, the Swedish auto company claims it will return fuel economy of 52 mpg or more. Other changes to the C30 include reduced ride height; aero-optimized wheels, underbody panels, and Volvo spoiler; low-rolling-resistance tires; higher gearing for the third, fourth, and fifth cogs; and lower engine friction through the use of a special oil.
“This is a groundbreaking innovation for sustainable transportation. A person driving less than 60 miles per day will rarely need to visit a filling station. Also, thanks to the excellent electrical range from a fuel consumption angle, the Volvo ReCharge Concept is exceptionally kind to the car owner’s wallet,” said Magnus Jonsson, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Cars.
“We are firmly committed to lowering the fuel consumption of our conventional petrol and diesel engines,” Magnus added.
The Volvo ReCharge Concept integrates several of the latest technological innovations into a so-called “series hybrid” where there is no mechanical connection between the Volvo engine parts and the wheels.
To maximize advantages to the environment, the Volvo ReCharge Concept has high-efficiency tires which are particularly designed to accommodate the wheel motors. The car also has All-Wheel Drive in the truest sense of the term as power to each wheel is controlled individually.
A safety device called the Driver Alert Control (DAC) will be also introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Packed with a Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system, the DAC system uses sensors to evaluate the impact that loss of driving control has on the movements of the car. Both systems will be featured later this year in the Volvo S80, V70, and XC70.
To actively fight climate change, environment-friendly cars take center stage in this year’s Frankfurt auto show. A total of 1,081 auto makers from 40 countries participate in this 10-day event, which is dubbed “See What’s Driving the Future.”
