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Volvo Cars introduced the Volvo ReCharge Concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show last week.
Based on the compact C30 hatchback, the ReCharge is a plug-in hybrid with individual electric wheel motors and batteries that can be recharged by a regular electrical outlet. “This is a ground-breaking innovation for sustainable transportation. A person driving less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) a day will rarely need to visit a gas station. In the USA, this may apply to almost 80 percent of drivers,” says Magnus Jonsson (Senior Vice President Research and Development at Volvo Cars).

In principle, the Volvo ReCharge Concept is a battery electric car with an efficient generator, an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) that steps in when the battery charge is insufficient. The APU is designed to distribute electrical power to the individual motors at each wheel. Since the combustion engine only powers the APU, it can operate optimally for regulated emissions and CO2. The engine-generator even has enough power to provide electricity to a house in the event of a power failure.

The ReCharge is ideal for commuters: drivers that travel less than 100 kilometres (62 miles) between home and workplace can cover the entire round trip on electric power alone, making carbon emissions minimal. For a 150 km (93 mile) drive starting with a full charge, the car will require less than a gallon of fuel, giving the car an effective fuel economy of 1.9 l/100km (124 mpg).

The only possible drawback is access to electricity, since it takes three hours to fully recharge. Volvo’s thought of that, too. “The only requirement is that the car owner has access to electrical outlets at convenient places, such as at home or at the workplace. Even a one-hour quick charge should provide enough charge to drive about 50 kilometres (30 miles) ” says Jonsson.