Volvo Will Introduce New Front-Wheel-Drive Hybrid Electric Vehicle System
A 3-cylinder version of its twin-engine plug-in hybrid vehicle system
Showing its commitment to electric vehicles, Volvo Cars made an exciting announcement at the SEA 2017 Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Technologies Symposium in San Diego: it will introduce a new front-wheel drive plug-in hybrid electric vehicle system in 2018, with new battery-electric production vehicles and a new 48V mild hybrid system to follow in 2019.
Fewer cylinders, same amount of work
Currently, Volvo offers the T8 Twin Engine all-wheel drive system (found in the XC 90 T8 Drive-E), which—according to Mats Anderson, Senior Director of Electric Propulsion Systems—is a 4-cylinder engine that does the work of a 6- or 8 cylinder. Similarly, the new 3-cylinder Twin Engine system will match the performance of a 4- or 6-cylinder competitor. Anderson estimates the new engine will have an all-electric range of about 31 miles, which is perfect when you consider that the average American commute is less than 30 miles a day.
Committed to the future of electric vehicles
Following closely on the heels of this new plug-in hybrid system, Volvo intends to keep the momentum going with the introduction of its first battery-electric vehicles. Front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions of its Compact Modular Architecture and Scalable Product Architecture are being considered.
In order to make production of a range of battery-electric vehicles cost-effective, Volvo is developing a set of modular building blocks called the Modular Electrification Platform. The result will be vehicles with propulsion power ranging from 100 to 450 kW. Volvo hopes to manufacture a million electric Volvos by 2025.
“We are committed [to electrification]”, Anderson said. “There is no turning back.”
Although exciting things lie in Volvo's future, you don't have to wait to experience everything the automaker has to offer. Call, contact us online, or visit our showroom in at 3121 Automobile Blvd, Silver Spring, MD 20904 to schedule a test drive of one of our exceptional Volvo models.
Image Credit: Volvo