Volvo plans to unveil its latest green car at the Beijing Auto Show next week: the S60L PPHEV. The plug-in hybrid not only gets up and goes, but it gives drivers the option of how they want to drive.
The PPHEV, which is short for petrol plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, provides motorists with three driving modes: pure, hybrid or power.
In Pure mode, the S60L will travel in pure electric mode for more than 30 miles. In the default hybrid mode, the carbon dioxide emissions are about 50 g/km. This corresponds to fuel consumption of just two liters per 100 km. It will travel approximately 600 miles in hybrid mode.
However, it’s in the Power setting that the S60L really shines. Using Volvo’s new Drive-E 2.0-liter four cylinder gasoline turbo producing 238 horsepower in concert with the 68-hp electric engine, the hybrid will go zero-to-60 mph in 5.5 seconds, according to the Swedish maker.
The Drive-E is mated to a “super-efficient powertrain,” which is a crankshaft-driven Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) between the engine and the eight-speed automatic gearbox and a 11.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack installed under the floor of the load compartment powering the electric motor.
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In addition to the instant surge of power, S60L hybrid drivers can also get a similar instant surge of control with the car’s all-wheel-drive system. Pressing the AWD button activates the electric four-wheel drive. Instead of the mechanical power transfer of conventional four-wheel drive, the central control unit distributes power between the petrol-driven front wheels and the electrically driven rear axle, the company said.
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The driver can also choose to save battery power for driving on pure electricity later, for instance, in the center of a city in order to eliminate all tailpipe emissions.
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The S60L PPHEV Concept Car is painted in a matte white crystal pearl color, with contrasting black or blue details on the lower body and the seven-spoke wheels. The exclusive interior features hazel-brown leather with contrasting stitching on the seats, steering wheel, instrument panel and door panels. Chrome detailing and a blond color theme above the belt line enhance the luxurious feeling.
