For 2023 Volvo Goes All Hybrids or Pure Electric

For 2023 Volvo Goes All Hybrids or Pure Electric

What is a Mild Hybrid vs Plug In Hybrid vs Pure Electric

For model year 2023, All Volvo's will be mild hybrids, extended range plug in hybrids or pure electric.

What is a mild hybrid?

The mild hybrid, also known as MHEV or the integrated started generator (ISG), is a car that utilizes both a combustion engine and an electric motor to minimize CO2 emissions, improve the fuel economy and provide performance benefits. The ISG is used to 1) start the engine 2) brake or slow the car, and thereby recover brake energy that is stored in the 48V battery. This energy is then used to help boost the combustion engine when accelerating.

Key attributes of the Mild Hybrid:

> Brake energy recuperation

> Fuel economy advancements

> Ensures smooth but greater power

> Enhanced day-to-day drivability

> Noise and vibration improvements

> Improved engine response

> Improved Start / Stop performance

What is a Volvo extended range plug in hybrid?

Volvo Car USA has announced that a new, improved Recharge plug-in hybrid powertrain is coming to the U.S. and will be standard on all it's plug in hybrids for model year 2023.

Volvo Cars’ new and improved hybrid powertrain brings the all-electric range up to an EPA estimated 35-41 miles when driven in pure mode, depending on model, on a single full charge. For those with access to charging at home or at their workplace, this means that the majority of average daily driving can be completed on pure electric power. Additionally, all Recharge T8 models now qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit.

Improvements to the Recharge T8 AWD plug-in hybrid powertrain include a new long-range battery, featuring a third layer of cells to increase nominal energy from 11.6 kWh to 18.8 kWh, and a more powerful rear electric motor now delivering 143 hp (up from 87 hp). The additional electric power results in a total combined output of 455 hp for Recharge T8 AWD models, making these the most powerful Volvo cars ever produced. Besides the new powertrain, new upgrades include one-pedal drive capability on XC60 and S90 models.

The new and improved e-motor increases the power in the rear wheels by approximately 65 percent, enhancing performance and drivability in all scenarios. Together with the three-layer battery, the upgraded e-motor also enables better all-wheel drive capability which can prove particularly useful at low speeds, when towing, or when driving on slippery roads that demand extra traction and stability.

The suite of upgrades includes the addition of one-pedal drive, which can help deliver an especially smooth and intuitive driving experience. The function, already seen on pure electric Volvo models, gives the driver the option of controlling both acceleration and deceleration with only the accelerator pedal. 

The extra battery capacity also comes in useful on cold winter days, as well as in scorching heat. Even when the car is not plugged in, drivers are able to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin remotely via the Volvo Cars app while maintaining all-electric driving range.

If interested in the Volvo Extended Range Plug In Hybrid, there is a video review on Youtube from Alex On Autos and he goes into much details of the features and benefits. 

Click here for the XC90 Extended Range and here for the XC60 Extended Range.

What is a Pure Electric Vehicle?

A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle, fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that exclusively uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, with no secondary source of propulsion (e.g. hydrogen fuel cell, internal combustion engine, etc.). BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of internal combustion engines (ICEs) for propulsion. They derive all power from battery packs and thus have no internal combustion engine, fuel cell, or fuel tank. BEVs include â€&ldquo but are not limited to[1][2] â€&ldquo motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, railcars, watercraft, forklifts, buses, trucks, and cars.

Keywords: Volvo Electric, Extended Range Volvos, BEV