Volvo Car Group (Volvo) is now ramping up production by 90 percent. It is doing so earlier than anticipated to keep up with the demand.

The increased demand, especially in Holland, Belgium and Italy, means that the Plug-in Hybrid production at Volvo Cars’ Torslanda plant in Sweden will be increased continuously from 150 to 282 units per week.

All in all, Volvo Cars will produce 7,600 plug-in hybrids in 2013 – and the 2014 target is 10,000 units.

“We are exceptionally pleased that the V60 Plug-in Hybrid has received such a fantastic reception among consumers. However, I am not surprised. Our Plug-in Hybrid is a unique car, superior to all other hybrids on the market,” says Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development at Volvo Car Group. “Since the Plug-in Hybrid has been integrated into the established production flow together with other car models, we have the flexibility to quickly adapt to the increasing demand.”

The driver of the V60 Plug-in Hybrid can select the driving mode wanted via three buttons on the dashboard that gives the car three entirely different temperaments: Pure, Hybrid or Power.

The default mode is hybrid.

By pressing the Pure button, the driver can cover up to 31.06 miles on pure electric power.

By pressing the Power button, the driver will use the combined capacity of the diesel engine and electric motor to create a veritable driving machine using the combined power of the gasoline engine (215 horsepower) and the electric motor (70 horsepower).

“This on-demand possibility to choose between different driving modes makes the V60 Plug-in Hybrid the perfect choice for the uncompromising customer who wants minimum carbon dioxide emissions combined with maximum driving pleasure,” says Peter Mertens.

Volvo said the V60 Plug-in Hybrid is the synthesis of close cooperation between Volvo Car Group and the Swedish electricity supplier Vattenfall.

The two companies have financed the development project jointly.

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The development and production take place in-house at Volvo Car Group and form a vital part of the company’s strategy for independence.

The strategy of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and driveline electrification is the path that Volvo Cars has chosen for the future.

With total control over the development and production of engines and drivelines and by reducing the number of engine variants, Volvo said the result is increased flexibility and greater ability to influence quality.

­”This marks a milestone in Volvo Cars’ history. With our new engine family we are focusing on two additional vital properties – driving pleasure and fuel efficiency,” says Derek Crabb, Vice President Powertrain Engineering.

The new Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA) engines were developed by a Swedish team of engineers. The new, smaller engines are optimized and deliver higher performance than today’s six-cylinder units, while offering lower fuel consumption than the current generation of four-cylinder units.

“During the development of VEA the starting point was our customers and what we wanted to offer them in regard to good fuel economy, low environmental impact and immense driving pleasure at an attractive price. At the same time, however, it’s also about the fact that Volvo Cars gets a sound basis for developing future-generation technologies featuring fuel economy of absolute world class,” says Derek Crabb.

The VEA family consists of four-cylinder gas and diesel engines.

Combined with driveline electrification, the VEA family replaces the previous eight engine architectures on three different platforms.

Gone will be the previous four, five and six cylinder engines.

The new VEA engines will be introduced between 2013 and 2015.

Volvo expects almost 20,000 engines will be produced in 2013, and by the end of the year the production pace will be 2000 units a week.

The first variants will be found under the hood of the Volvo S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80 in the autumn of 2013.

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The upgraded C30 has a new Siemens motor with a peak power output of 89 kilowatt (120 horsepower), allowing the C30 electric to accelerate from 0 to 70 kilometers per hour (43.5 mph) in 5.9 seconds.

“Adding the innovative fast charging solution will radically improve the time and mileage for the daily usage of the car. This will drastically improve the cost of ownership since the customer will now be able to drive many low cost kilometers per day. A quick 10-minute plug-in adds power for another 20 kilometres of driving,” said Lennart Stegland, vice president Electric Propulsion Systems, Volvo Car Group.

Siemens is the main supplier of electric propulsion power train components for Volvo’s forthcoming Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, which the company said enables sophisticated electrification at all levels – from different kinds of hybrids to pure electric drive, without intruding on interior or load space.

The upgraded C30 has a new 22-kilowatt fast charger, which is, according to Volvo, the world’s first on-board charger that operates on a three-phase supply and is small enough to be fitted in an electric car.

Using a three-phase outlet, a charge takes 1.5 hours, allowing a total range of 164 kilometers (101 miles) according to NEDC certification driving cycle. An ordinary single-phase 230 V household outlet takes between 8 and10 hours, depending on the available current.

“We’re proud to have developed this unique solution. By offering more usable hours a day, we’ve taken an important step towards making electric cars more viable as a commercial proposition, in both the private and public sectors,” said Stegland.

Volvo said the upgraded Volvo C30 Electric fleet meets the same high quality and safety standards as all other Volvo cars, including a dynamic driving experience and a comfortable climate, no matter what the temperature. The fuel cost is significantly lower than that for conventional cars, saving up to 2/3 of the cost, depending on fuel prices.

“Volvo is, and has always been, a human centric carmaker. The same focus and dedication that’s delivered world-class safety solutions is now focused on producing dynamic, intuitive and flexible electrified cars,” adds Stegland.

The strategic partnership between Volvo Car Group and Siemens was formed in August 2011 with the intention to jointly spearhead the development of electrified cars.

“Our aim is to be first with the latest technology within electrification. The new C30 Electric fleet will give us continuous feedback on technology and functionality as we approach a future series production,” Stegland says.

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Volvo Car Group’s new engine family VEA (Volvo Engine Architecture) will be launched this autumn with what the company said is a world-first, the i-ART technology.

Per Volvo, the i-ART technology helps to cut fuel consumption in the new diesel engines.

Volvo explained that by featuring pressure feedback from each fuel injector instead of using a traditional single pressure sensor in the common rail, i-ART makes it possible to continuously monitor and adapt fuel injection per combustion in each of the four cylinders.

“Increasing the rail pressure to an exceptionally high 2,500 Bar, while adding the i-ART technology, can be described as the second step in the diesel revolution. It is a breakthrough comparable to when we invented the groundbreaking lambda sensor for the catalytic converter in 1976. It’s another world-first for Volvo,” says Derek Crabb, vice president Powertrain Engineering at Volvo Car Group.

The Swedish car company stated that the combination of higher injection pressure and i-ART technology gives the customer an engine with improved fuel economy, considerably lower emissions and high performance output as well as a powerful sound character.

“Each injector has a small computer on top,” added Crabb, “which monitors injection pressure. Using this information, the self-adapting i-ART system makes sure that the ideal amount of fuel is injected during each combustion cycle.”

Volvo Car Group will launch this new Volvo Engine Architecture in autumn 2013. Along with it, Volvo will also introduce a new 8-speed automatic gearbox that, said Volvo, contributes to a refined drive and excellent fuel economy.

Diesel common rail and gas direct injection are standard in the upcoming modular range of diesel and petrol engines.

Several levels of turbo charging open up for the flexibility to cover the whole range from fuel-efficient derivatives all the way to high power and torque versions.

In order to cover all customer requirements, certain engines will also gain added performance via electrification or other spearhead technology.

“The new powertrains will boost driving pleasure through their agile, yet smooth, responsiveness and the seamless character of the new 8-speed automatic,” says Crabb.

Volvo did not mention any other technical details about this new VEA family, including whether this family is completely new or based on the current generation of engines. Displacement, cylinder count and performance info will have to wait until Volvo is ready to lift the veil on them.

We do know there will be four and six cylinder engines, which may mean the end of the current five-cylinder offered; reading between the lines, the V8 will also disappear.

“We will create smaller, more intelligent engines with so much power that they will turn V8s into dinosaurs. Our four-cylinder engines will offer higher performance than today’s six-cylinder units and lower fuel consumption than the current four-cylinder generation. On top of that, electrification will bring us up into power figures in today’s V8-territory,” says Crabb.

The engines will be built at Volvo Car Group’s engine plant in Skövde, Sweden.

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Doug Speck, Volvo Cars’ senior vice president marketing, sales and customer service, made the announcement at the New York International Auto Show, indicating the new V60 will come to the U.S. market in early 2014. Pricing and specifications for the U.S. and Canada will be announced at a later date.

No word yet on models availability and if the hybrid-diesel PHEV version available in Europe will make its way across the ocean.

The V60 R-Design on the auto show stand marks the global debut of the R-Design version of the car. It projects, according to Volvo, an elegant, curvy and sculptured appearance that equally straddles luxury and performance.

“The V60 marks a beautiful evolution in design and direction for Volvo,” said Volvo Cars of Canada President and CEO Marc Engelen, “Many Canadian consumers have been asking us to bring this exciting sports wagon to the Volvo lineup and we listened.”

Volvo said the new V60 is for people who want the handling of a dynamic sports sedan but need the versatility of a wagon. Now, forging a new path with the V60, the Scandinavian automaker reaches a new level of design and sophistication, blending styling cues from its best-selling sedan with a sleek, curvy silhouette.

At the heart of the extra versatility of the V60 is its intelligent seating. Rear seats can be folded down in three 40/20/40 segments, allowing its interior space to be configured for passengers and loaded in a remarkably flexible way.

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The world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid will make its American display debut and Volvo hopes it will take center stage at the New York International Auto Show.

The plug-in hybrid is one of three remaining candidates for the prestigious 2013 World Green Car of the Year award.

The winning environmental car, which is selected by 66 top motoring journalists from 23 countries around the world, will be announced at the New York International Auto Show on March 28, 2013.

The Volvo Car Group press conference in the Jacob Javits Center at 10:30 AM on March 28 will also include the world premiere of Volvo’s latest R-Design models as well as the announcement of a new and exciting addition to the North American Volvo model line-up.

The V60 Plug-in Hybrid is the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid. It includes two complete drive trains and a battery. The driver can select the preferred driving mode via three buttons that give the car three entirely different temperaments: Pure, Hybrid or Power.

“The ingenious on-demand possibility makes the V60 Plug-in Hybrid superior to all other hybrids on the market. Thanks to the Pure, Hybrid and Power modes, the car is the perfect choice for the uncompromising customer who wants to minimise his or her carbon dioxide emissions but maximise driving pleasure,” said Doug Speck, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service at Volvo Car Group.

Per Volvo, pushing the Pure button gives the driver up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) on pure electric power.

In Hybrid mode, the carbon dioxide emissions are 48 g/ kilometers. This corresponds to fuel consumption of just 1.8 l/100 kilometers (NEDC certification driving cycle for hybrids), translating into 130 mpg.

The Power mode releases the combined capacity of the diesel engine and electric motor, creating a veritable driving machine with a total power output of 215+70 horsepower. The electric motor’s lightning-quick torque delivery contributes to the car’s acceleration from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 6.1 seconds.

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The new functionality is an enhancement of the present detection and auto brake technology, and the package will be called Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection with full auto brake.

All Volvo cars equipped with pedestrian detection will also incorporate cyclist detection.

“As the leader in automotive safety, we have been first in the industry with all detection and auto brake technologies, from the first-generation brake support in 2006 to pedestrian detection with full auto brake in 2010,” said Doug Speck, Senior Vice President Marketing, Sales and Customer Service at Volvo Car Group.

According to accident data, about 50 percent of all cyclists killed in European traffic have collided with a car.

New advanced software, including more rapid vision processing, has made it possible to extend the present detection and auto brake technology to cover also certain cyclist situations.

“Our solutions for avoiding collisions with unprotected road users are unique in the industry. By covering more and more objects and situations, we reinforce our world-leading position within automotive safety. We keep moving towards our long-term vision to design cars that do not crash,” said Doug Speck.

The Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection with full auto brake will be available starting this May 2013 in the Volvo V40, S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80 models.

Volvo said the advanced sensor system scans the area ahead. If a cyclist heading in the same direction as the car suddenly swerves out in front of the car as it approaches from behind and a collision is imminent, there is an instant warning and full braking power is applied.

The car’s speed has considerable importance for the outcome of an accident. A lower speed of impact means that the risk of serious injury is significantly reduced.

Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection with full auto brake consists of a radar unit integrated into the car’s grille, a camera fitted in front of the interior rear-view mirror and a central control unit.

The radar’s task is to detect objects in front of the car and to determine the distance to them. The camera determines the type of the objects. Thanks to the dual-mode radar’s wide field of vision, pedestrians and cyclists can be detected early on. The high-resolution camera makes it possible to spot the moving pattern of pedestrians and cyclists. The central control unit continuously monitors and evaluates the traffic situation.

The auto brake system requires both the radar and the camera to confirm the object. With the advanced sensor technology, it is then possible to apply full braking power immediately when necessary.

The technology also covers vehicles driving in the same lane.

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The new application for smartphones is designed, according to Volvo, to offer car owners easy-to-use relationship with the car from a distance. It enables users to see a wide variety of information about their car and interact remotely.

In order to find inspiration for further development, Volvo Cars uses crowdsourcing on Facebook, where people can share and vote for their favorite feature idea.

The Volvo On Call App is currently available in 16 countries and Volvo said it has quickly become a very popular feature among customers.

Studies show that users interact with the app on a weekly basis on average. Volvo expects the new design and added features will make it even more attractive, and roll-out in new countries will continue in 2013.

Features in the new Volvo On Call app include checking whether the car is secure (if not, users can lock the doors remotely), locating the vehicle on a map (useful if you’ve parked in an unfamiliar city), see fuel level, average fuel consumption, mileage and trip meter data, plus basic maintenance details such as light bulb faults, washer fluid, brake fluid, oil and coolant levels.

The Honk and Flash feature allows the user to activate the horn or flash the lights independently to allow easy location of the car in busy areas.

New features launched:

• Enhanced driving journal for business people. Detailed data of each trip during the last 40 days can be downloaded and stored. There is also a possibility to extract the data as an Excel file. Now allows you to see the route the car took on a map (incl. Google Street View) and gives speed/fuel consumption/battery consumption at specific time intervals.
• Send destination to the car. Using the map function within the app, select a location (within 31 miles) and send the destination to the car. This will then show-up in the car’s RTI system.
• Outside temperature. Shows the temperature using web-based weather information at the parked location of the car.
• Remote pre-heating. Allows the user to set the timer or remotely start the heating of the passenger compartment prior to the journey.
• Car in motion. Shows if the car is in use.

On top of these, the following new features are specific to the Volvo V60 Plug-in Diesel Hybrid:

• Passenger compartment preconditioning. Allows the owner to set the timer or remotely start the heating or cooling of the passenger compartment prior to the journey.
• Hybrid battery check. Shows the current state of charge of the battery.
• Charge reminder. An alarm can be set to remind the driver to plug the vehicle in to charge.
• Charge interruption warning. Shows if the power supply to charge the vehicle has been interrupted.

Volvo Cars said it always wants to be one step ahead in order to meet customer’s evolving needs that change from one day to another, as new innovations and technologies continuously change how we live our lives. That’s why the Volvo On Call development team have asked how new features in the app can make their life easier.

The crowdsourcing effort is hosted at the Volvo On Call Idea Hub on Facebook, where people also can also vote for their favorite idea.

The most popular ideas for the next generation Volvo On Call application will be presented on March 5, 2013.

The Volvo On Call app is now available in App Store, Google Play and Microsoft Market.

The Volvo On Call App is currently available in the following countries as of February 2013: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland. In Portugal services are available from a customer centre located in one of the other countries.

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Volvo has announced the availability of a revised diesel engine on its 2013 models.

The new entry-level 5-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbo diesel will be available in the S60, V60, XC60, V70 and S80 Volvo models.

The engine, which has an output of 136 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, will be identified as D3. The engine is available both with a manual and an automatic gearbox. All variants except the XC60 D3 with automatic gearbox will have start/stop technology.

Among the changes, this 2.0-liter engine has lighter camshafts; new piston rings, vacuum pump and flywheel sensor; lighter connecting rods and crankshaft; electric cooling jet control valve; and a new turbocharger.

Depending on the model it is installed in, the D3 will have CO2 ratings between 114 and 119 grams.

The D3 is also available in the new V40 model, with more power at 150 horsepower, but with the same torque rating.

Other configurations of this diesel engine includes the D2 with 115 horsepower, the D4 with 163 horsepower and the D5 with 215 horsepower.

To clear the confusion, a D3 with 163 horsepower and 295 pond-feet of torque was introduced in the Volvo S60 and V60 in 2010. This one is now known as D4.

It is unlikely that the D3 will make its way on North American shores, at least for now.

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While British consumers are eagerly awaiting Volvo’s limited-production V60 Plug-in Diesel Hybrid wagon, in a few years Americans will also get a plug-in gas-electric crossover.

The idea of a diesel hybrid, Volvo recently told us, is not in consideration for America given the market share these vehicles have, but in the UK, the V60 was voted by one green car Web site as its “most exciting green car.”

Actually with 30-percent of the vote, the V60 received double the votes of the next favored Chevy Volt/Vauxhall Ampera which got a second-place finish of 11 percent ahead of the Citroen DS5 and Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid.

So what’s so special about the V60? The all-wheel-drive wagon costs more, but delivers more as well.

The V60 uses a 215 horsepower 2.4-liter D5 four-cylinder diesel engine, teamed with a six-speed transaxle powering the front wheels, plus a 70-horsepower electric motor drives the rear wheels. It can operate in three different modes: pure electric, hybrid and diesel engine only.

The V60 is able travel 32 miles on electric power alone before the diesel engine kicks in similar to the Ampera or Volt (EPA rated at 35 miles range). As for hybrid mode – default upon startup – the electric motor and diesel engine aim to provide the ideal balance of acceleration, fuel economy and low emissions.

In diesel mode, the V60 is said to be capable of accelerating from 0-62 mph in 6.2 seconds, while an “on demand” all-wheel drive system – besides transmitting power to the tires that need it the most depending on road conditions – also enables the electric motor to recharge the battery in AWD mode.

On paper, it sounds like the V60 PIH has a lot going for it; a solution for those that want the carrying capacity of a wagon in a car with decent performance. At the same time it stands to minimize fuel consumption and emissions, without the compromises associated with most hybrids and pure electric cars (namely adequate highway fuel consumption and limited range).

Although the V60 Plug-In Hybrid is a European proposition only, with just 1,000 cars slated to be produced before the end of the year, Volvo says it plans to ramp up production in 2013-14.

And, the good news – or consolation, depending on your preferences – is the U.S. will be getting its own derivative, the X60 Plug-In Hybrid.

In an effort to cater to North American tastes, this machine, which was previewed as a concept at the Detroit auto show earlier this year, is a crossover rather than pure station wagon.

It sports a 280-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct injected gasoline engine in lieu of the 2.4 diesel and Volvo says it will deliver around 35 miles range in pure electric mode, and will sprint from 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds. This will make it one of the best performing PIHVs on the market.

Fuel economy ratings are pitched at 105 miles per gallon equivalent and 50 mpg once the battery is exhausted. Unlike the European version, the XC60 – which is destined for China besides North America – sports an eight-speed automatic transaxle.

But alas, when we will get it is in question. Volvo has not confirmed an introduction date, but estimates place an official launch next year at the earliest; likely as a 2014 model.

Given that, these days, Volvo has a much lower profile stateside than it does in countries like the UK (as well as a smaller product portfolio), it’ll be interesting to see if the XC60 Plug-In Hybrid proves to be as anticipated as its Euro market counterpart, especially once pricing is announced. In the UK, the V60 PIH is expected to retail for around £50,000 ($79,100).

fleetnews.co.uk

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