Volvo goes for better PHEVs and mild hybrids

Volvo presents improved and newly developed plug-in hybrid drives that will be used in the entire model range. This means that Volvo has expanded its production capacities so that 25 % of total production will now be concerned with PHEVs. Mild hybrids will also be introduced in the coming months.

According to Volvo, in the future, each model will be offered with at least one plug-in hybrid variant, hence the expansion of production. The Swedes have also developed improved PHEV drives for the models that are based on Scalable Product Architecture (SPA): the optimised T8 Twin Engine, which is available for all models in the Volvo 60 and 90 series, and the smaller T6 Twin Engine also have a new battery.

In addition, Volvo is introducing mild hybrids, for the XC90 and XC60 models with diesel engines, apparently, the petrol version will later follow suit. In the future, they will be recognisable by a new nomenclature “B” and should provide customers with fuel savings of up to 15 per cent and a reduction in CO2 emissions.

The XC90 has been available as a plug-in hybrid for a while already. The second generation of the SUV (introduced in 2015) marked the beginning of the transformation process of the Swedish automobile manufacturer. From May onwards, this model will be up for a facelift with a view to the new model in 2020, which will also see the launch of the mild hybrid version. In 2021 there will also be an electric version.

The XC60 is again the most popular Volvo model, at least in Germany. The second generation of the SUV launched in the summer of 2018 and for the first time also as a plug-in hybrid version. At the time there was speculation that the model designation “B” was protected by Volvo at that time to be used for Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV). This has now turned out to be wrong and we find that the new model is just a mild hybrid.

volvocars.com (hybrid powertrains), volvocars.com (XC90 SUV)