At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, Volvo’s chief executive officer, Stefan Jacoby, confirmed plans for the company’s launch of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) diesel in 2012. Jacoby revealed that Volvo’s first plug-in hybrid would come to the party packing everything that makes a PHEV desirable. With a projected CO2 emissions rating below 50 grams per kilometer wrapped in a mid-size package, we’re inclined to side with Jacoby’s remarks. We speculated that Volvo’s upcoming PHEV would be based on either the V70 or S60. It turns out that we missed the mark, but just by a bit.
Just days ago, Jacoby told Swedish business daily Dagens Industri that the V60 model would become the foundation for the company’s first diesel-electric. Emissions projections have been revised to 49 g/km, but the real news here is the admission that the V60 plug-in hybrid will be equipped with a generously sized battery that can be recharged in five hours and provide 31 miles of electric range. Unfortunately, Volvo has no plans to ship its more ordinary V60 models to the U.S., so we’re going to have to assume that, for now, this plug-in won’t make the trip either.
