Volvo Enters the Plugin Car Arena: ReCharge Concept
The wheels of change are unstoppable, oil is running out, and now yet another automaker has pledged to build a plugin electric vehicle.
Today, Volvo issued a press release about a car called the ReCharge concept, based on the C30 model. The car, like the Volt, is a series hybrid, but with an all-electric range of up to 65 miles. Volvo also claims the car can drive up to 30 miles on a 1 hour charge.
The car has an electric motor at each wheel offering unique AWD and traction ability as well, and a central electric power control unit called an APU. The gas engine, 1.6 L will serve as a generator and not be connected to the wheels, there will also be of course a lithium-polymer battery pack.
Will it be built? How much will it cost? We’ll have to wait and see.
PRESS RELEASE:
GROUNDBREAKING PLUG-IN HYBRID – THE VOLVO RECHARGE CONCEPT – UNVEILED AT FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW
* Plug-in hybrid with battery-only range of over 60 miles
* 66 per cent lower CO2 emissions than best hybrids available today
* 1.6 Flexifuel engine provides backup and recharge power
Volvo is unveiling an innovative plug-in hybrid at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The ReCharge Concept is a specially designed Volvo C30 with individual electric wheel motors and batteries that can be charged via a regular electrical outlet. When fully charged the Volvo ReCharge Concept can be driven approximately 62 miles on battery power alone before the car’s four-cylinder 1.6 Flexifuel engine1 is needed to power the car and recharge the battery. The concept car also retains the Volvo C30’s lively and sporty drive thanks to an acceleration figure of 0-62mph in 9 seconds and a top speed of 100mph.
“This is a groundbreaking innovation for sustainable transportation. This plug-in hybrid car, when used as intended, should have about 66 percent lower emissions of carbon dioxide compared with the best hybrid cars available on the market today. Emissions may be even lower if most of the electricity comes from CO2-friendly sources such as biogas, hydropower and nuclear power. A person driving less than 60 miles per day will rarely need to visit a filling station. Also, thanks to the excellent electrical range from a fuel consumption angle, the Volvo ReCharge Concept is exceptionally kind to the car owner’s wallet,” commented Magnus Jonsson, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Cars.
Operating costs are estimated to be about 80 percent lower compared to a similar petrol-powered car when using battery power alone and even drivers who cover more than the battery-only range will benefit from the ReCharge Concept. For a 150km (93 mile) drive starting with a full charge, the car will require less than 2.8 litres of fuel, giving the car an effective fuel economy of 1.9 l/100km (124mpg).
The only extra cost will be the electricity used during charging. The Volvo ReCharge Concept can be charged at any regular electric plug socket at convenient locations such as at home or work and a full recharge will take three hours. However, even a quick one hour charge provides enough power to cover just over 30 miles.
During a journey the combustion engine starts up automatically when 70 percent of the battery power has been used up. However, the driver also has the option of controlling the four-cylinder Flexifuel engine manually via a button in the control panel. This allows the driver to start the engine earlier in order to maximise battery charge, for instance when out on a motorway in order to save battery capacity for driving through the next town.
An electric motor at each wheel
The Volvo ReCharge Concept combines a number of the latest technological innovations into a so-called “series hybrid” where there is no mechanical connection between the engine and the wheels.
* The battery pack integrated into the boot uses lithium-polymer battery technology. The batteries are intended to have a useful life beyond that of the car itself.
* Four electric motors, one at each wheel, provide independent traction power.
* Four-cylinder 1.6-litre Flexifuel engine drives an advanced generator that efficiently powers the wheel motors when the battery is depleted.
“There is a considerable difference between the Volvo plug-in hybrid and today’s hybrids. Today’s hybrids use the battery only for short periods to assist the combustion engine. Volvo’s solution is designed for most people to run on electric power all the time, while providing the extra security that comes with having a combustion engine as a secondary source of electrical power,” says Ichiro Sugioka, project manager for the Volvo ReCharge Concept.
Electric car with a combustion engine as backup
The Volvo ReCharge Concept is a battery electric car with an efficient generator, an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), that steps in when battery charge becomes insufficient for adequate driving performance. 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 in an optimal fashion, both for regulated emissions and CO2. The APU is powerful enough to supply an entire house with electricity. For example it could, in principle, with minor modifications, give the car owner an electricity generator right at his front door in the event of a power failure.
Specially developed electric motors
The central electrical components in the Volvo ReCharge Concept – the generator for the APU and the wheel motors – were developed together with British electromagnetic specialists PML Flightlink.
With an individual electric motor at each wheel, weight distribution as well as mechanical efficiency and traction are maximised and the friction in mechanical gears is eliminated. Since the car does not have the transmission found in ordinary cars, there is no need for a gear lever.
To help maximise the environmental benefits, the Volvo ReCharge Concept has high-efficiency tyres developed by Michelin which are specially designed to accommodate the wheel motors. The car also has All-Wheel Drive in the truest sense of the term as power to each wheel is controlled individually.
The energy that is generated during braking is transmitted to the battery pack. When the system is ultimately developed, traditional wheel brakes will be completely replaced by electrical brakes with minimal energy wasted through friction. To ensure reliable operation of the drivetrain and braking system, driver inputs are fed into a quadruple-redundant electronic control system.
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Related posts:
- More on the Toyota Plugin
- The Opel Flextreme
- Latest Chevy Volt Battery Pack and Generator Details and Clarifications
- More on the Opel E-Flex Concept
- Nissan Proposes its Electric Car Concept: the Mixim
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25 Responses to “Volvo Enters the Plugin Car Arena: ReCharge Concept”
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September 6th, 2007 at 10:17 am
It sounds good. Let’s wait and see if Volvo is serious about actually building it.
I’ve always been a GM guy but this might be a reasonable alternative should GM decide to lease the Volt battery pack.
September 6th, 2007 at 10:18 am
I really like the all wheel drive aspect. I also like the elegant simplicity of a motor for each wheel.
However, the location of the plug-in is absolutely terrible. Why make the owner bend over to reach the plug? Why make the owner deal with the bugs/dirt/snow mess at that location? Up high on the sides (like the Volt) makes much more sense. Unfortunately, such a glaring mistake makes me think their concept car is really just a marketing exercise.
I also like the styling of the Volt much better.
September 6th, 2007 at 10:18 am
Anyone know anything about the lithium-polymer battery technology?
September 6th, 2007 at 10:24 am
THose electric in wheel motors are built by PML Flightlink, a british company and are to be used in the $300,000 Lightning handbuilt EVs and I think perhaps in the ZAP-x, as I recall. They aren’t cheap, and I always suspected that GM chose their single electric motor design for cost effectiveness and perhaps proven reliability. I don’t believe the PML Link motors have a track history, and from the
description I heard, they seem pricey. I’d rather have more batteries than more electric motors. Electric motors are so reliable that only having one doesn’t bother me. The claimed 62 miles of range
may come partly from smaller size and more batteries. I suspect that tis Volvo will be priced considerably higher than the Chevy VOLT or the Opel version. The more the merrier, as they say. The idea is to avoid gasoline, and the more cars that can do that, the better. I do have doubts about how soon this car would hit the streets.
The battery sounds like an ABAT Chinese battery, because they referred to it as a li polymer battery. Competition is the spice of life.
September 6th, 2007 at 10:33 am
I suspect cost may kill this car before it gets off the ground. However, Miles Autmotive seems to have done 150 mile range with Li-ions for under $30,000. Could this be the same supplier?
Moreover, if this prototype ACTUALLY RUNS, it could seriously undermine GM’s efforts to be the first to the market. Good to see, but time will tell.
September 6th, 2007 at 10:35 am
JUST IN. Volvo looking for 2015 launch for their version of the VOLT.
Looks like anything Volvo might say about their car is rather meaningless at this early stage. I expect that quoted driving range to be completely obsolete 8 years from now. And I’m not sure PML Flightlink can stay in business only selling motors to companies like Lightning and Zap-x for the next 8 years, which produce hundreds, not thousands, of cars. This whole story sounds
phoney.
September 6th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Kent spreads his misinfo all over the web; skeptical to a fault. Do you think Volvo might have a better handle on this then Kent? I know I do. Kent already says the story is phoney just because the motor manufacturer is a startup? That’s quite a jump.
September 6th, 2007 at 10:57 am
JUST IN: we don’t truly know how well the Volt will perform yet and when it will be released yet. They haven’t even built the battery packs and installed them for testing yet! All we have are the projections. To say by 2015 Volvo’s design will be obsolete? Kent is obsolete already in 2007.
September 6th, 2007 at 11:09 am
a) Volvo goes after a different demographic than GM … and a different price point.
b) Still, nice to have options, even a few years later, as GMs abilty to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory may yet happen (as their clumsy lease trial balloon evinces).
September 6th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Great news! The more the merrier, as they say. I truly believe competition helps everyone, even the companies that are competing.
As for differences from the Volt, the main thing seems to be the 4 separate electric motors. I heard elsewhere on the web that this design puts too much weight below the suspension, causing a rough ride. But if these electric motors are really light, maybe it’s OK.
As for the cost and weight of 4 electric motors, I don’t see a big issue. This design will eliminate driveshafts, gears, etc., and each motor will only need to be 1/4 of the total required horsepower to drive the car, so the total weight should be about the same. Yeah, they may cost a lot now, but when volume ramps way up, most things become very reasonably priced.
September 6th, 2007 at 11:40 am
I’m not sold on wheel motors. They create a lot of unsprung mass, they are very vulnerable to what would normally be relatively harmless low-speed collisions, and they are more expensive because of packaging issues.
September 6th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Brian - did they say wheel motors or just one motor per wheel - not necessarily mounted in the wheel…
I drive a Volvo. I would not mind another one. Especially if I do not get stung by having to replace $1500 catalytic converters.
GM get on the ball!
September 6th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Whoa- sorry Brian. I guess they are wheel motors. Bogus.
GM - Get onthe ball!
September 6th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Competition is good. So is a variety of design approaches. I think that over the next few years we will see a diverse set of designs around our common plug-in theme. This is good for all.
September 6th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Don, a different demographic than GM? Are you telling us this wouldn’t compete directly with the Volt if it was around similar price points?
September 6th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
This sounds amazing to me. Good competition for GM. And to be honest, the only thing I dislike about it that it’s a coupe. I prefer sedans.
September 6th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
How to make Lithium Polymer Batteries for Electric Car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqywKcJ0J2M
September 6th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
[quote]Don, a different demographic than GM? Are you telling us this wouldn’t compete directly with the Volt if it was around similar price points?[/quote]
Absolutely. This car is easily going to cost more than the volt.
But Phenoix, Volt, Now a volvo! The more competition the better. Are wheel engines better??? A lot of people think so! Time will tell.
Like I have said before GM is taking the safe route with everything. The introduction of wheel engines might or might not be a good idea so they have opted for motors that have over 100 years of history and know they last a very very very long time.
Just like the first computers didn’t have harddrives, or sound cards or color monitors etc. The volt is Vanilla! Everyone like Vanilla right! As more and more enter the market more and more options bells and whistles will emerge. All the stuff everyone has been clammering for will be added to new cars to make them more attractive and BETTER than the ones before.
I don’t know if this volvo will ever see the light of day but it doesn’t matter. They are putting some resources into at least making the concept. Eventually virtually all cars will be either totally electric or serial plugin hybrids. Superior design make that inevitable.
Just a shame progress is so slow. Think about it! They could have designed a Volt 30 years ago that had one 12 volt battery (or more to store a little energy while at a stoplight etc)and ran off the generated electricity and got around 50 miles to the gallon!!! None of that technology for that is new.
September 6th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
Dave, Omegaman says it fairly well. Different demographics and different price points. GM is going for a mass market success. They need to make a sale to the average American, to lots of average Americans, to declare success. In comparison Volvo is a niche player who can sell many fewer and be happy. Few Volvo purchasers have been deciding between their Volvo and a GM product. GM needs to keep the price under $30K and go after the auto equivalent of the swing voter: those of us who haven’t bought other than Honda or Toyota for over 15 years but who love the concept of the PHEV enough to reconsider buying GM. GM will have to communicate clearly how a Volt is cheaper in the long run (the green) and for the planet (the green). The Volvo buyer is already spending nearly $40K on a car; they’ll pony up a few thousand more just to avoid the hassle of stopping for gas, let alone for the decreased total ownership cost, environmental benefits, and national energy security issues.
September 7th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Sounds good, just im wondering if all eletric vehlicles engines became the same powerfull as gas ones.
September 7th, 2007 at 10:30 am
I wonder if Ford would consider building a Ranger or F-150 plug-in using these motors and the 2L engine from the Focus? Throw in on-site power generation and standard 4WD and every contractor in America will want one. Heck, this could be a great way to get rid of that junk PowerStroke Diesel in the heavy duty trucks.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Looks great! If it came out and was cost competitive (a little more $$ since Volvo is a bit of a higher end vehicle), I’d get one instead of the Volt. However, since it IS a Volvo, I bet it will be very well appointed, and probably cost north of $40k, if not $50k.
Motor in wheel is a GREAT design. All the torque you need DIRECTLY to the ground? Four wheel traction, and traction control? Four wheel regenerative braking? Four wheel ACCELERATION? What’s NOT to like??
September 8th, 2007 at 4:21 am
[quote]just im wondering if all eletric vehlicles engines became the same powerfull as gas ones.[/quote]
They will have as much power as is needed. Trains are serial hybrids already. So power will not be an issue. The only way power comes into play is initially the cars will have limited all electric range so bulking them up to pull tractors/boats etc isn’t in the initial cards.
September 20th, 2007 at 11:00 am
http://www.pmlflightlink.com copied original wheel motor of US patent and manufactured in China for so many years ago, if you check their Hi-Pa drive within ep.espacenet.com has no patent. Right now, they copied once again at SAE 2004 expo is against US patents.
We contacted with Volvo and Ford since their board of directors meeting on May 12, 2004 they played double-hand strategy, try to pull us down to chapter 7, 7&11, and 13, then they can buy out on liquidation.
Pray for God’s righteousness, fairness and justice to help G1 Technology Inc fighting with old foxes and blood suckers.
September 22nd, 2007 at 2:16 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXSHcJ-A7EY