Saturday, October 3, 2009

Volvo C30 Electric Vehicle

Volvo is preparing for the future with new hybrid technologies for their cars, but they are also preparing new full-electric models to go on sale in 2012. They are starting by developing that technology on their smallest car, the C30


This car is a plug-in electric, and it can be charged in almost every electric outlet there is, as long as it is 220V. Volvo claims that new lithium-ion batteries have been developed for this model exclusively, using a technology similar to cellphone batteries.

This car´s performance figures werén´t very affected by the electric powertrain. It still does 0-100km/h in 11 seconds, which is perfect for city driving. The only drawback is that its top speed is 130km/h.

The electric C30 can run 150km on one complete charge, which is more than most of the drivers drive each day. Volvo hasn´t announced any pricing figures for it yet, but it is reasonable to think that it will cost more than the petrol- or diesel-powered C30, since the electric technology is more expensive.
Andre´s Opinion
I like the Volvo C30. It is small enough to drive in town, and roomy enough inside so that all passengers feel comfortable. The exterior design also catches one´s attentionm, with its coupé-like design. I would not mind having one, I just worry how long it will take for the automakers to realize that Brazil is a perfect place to sell electric cars, and also desperately in need of them.

2 comments:

Alisha Stafford Feitosa said...

Sounds like a nice car. So they're not available in Brazil at all yet?

André Allemann said...

no, sadly.
It's a shame that we don't have electric cars here yet. If we did, I'm sure the environmental imppact that our city has would be much smaller...