Beautiful 2005 Volvo Xc90 Premium Sport Awd..3rd Row..sunroof..4.4l..112k Miles. on 2040-cars

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Embrace one-pedal driving in EVs and PHEVs

I just came back from a trip out to California, where I was able to drive the new 2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge in its new extended-range form (you’ll find that review on Autoblog tomorrow). One of the newly-added headline features for this plug-in hybrid SUV is true one-pedal driving. This is one-pedal driving in a PHEV, not a full battery electric vehicle, and as of now, one-pedal driving in PHEVs is exceedingly rare. Other plug-ins may offer levels of braking regeneration, but one-pedal driving is typically a feature reserved for full EVs. Adding the feature to the Volvo is a huge boost to the driving experience for me, and I sincerely hope we see it in even more PHEVs soon. In case youÂ’re new to the one-pedal driving game, hereÂ’s a quick explainer. ItÂ’s called “one-pedal” because most of the time, youÂ’re only using one pedal to accelerate and decelerate. Press in to accelerate; let off evenly and gently to decelerate via regenerative braking. The trick at the end is in slowing down the final few mph and bringing the car to a stop smoothly, which typically requires some practice and time spent figuring out how best to modulate the throttle pedal. Once youÂ’re stopped in a car with one-pedal driving, it should hold itself in place when you have your foot off the throttle, allowing you to relax your legs at lights. Applying pressure to the brake pedal would be unnecessary so long as traffic doesnÂ’t necessitate quicker deceleration than what the car is capable of via letting off on the throttle. The point, of all of the above, is that one-pedal driving in an EV or PHEV simply makes driving easier. Once you learn the car, not having to swap back and forth between the throttle and brake pedals makes stop-and-go traffic (or any kind of driving) a lot more relaxing to manage. The point of this story is to call out the lack of this feature in some EVs and nearly all PHEVs. Some of you may have already hit the comments to voice your disdain for one-pedal driving, but do note, while IÂ’m advocating for the feature to be present in all EVs, IÂ’m not advocating for it to be a required always-on feature. In fact, you should be able to turn it off and on at your whimsy. Many car manufacturers already offer one-pedal driving in their EVs, but companies like VW, Audi, Porsche and to a certain extent, Mercedes, do not. This is slightly irritating, mostly because those companies make some of the most desirable EVs on the market today.

Irv Gordon's Volvo P1800 has reached 3 million miles

While we were seated at our desks like good worker bees yesterday, Irv Gordon was continuing his assault on the record books. Gordon, if you recall, is the original owner of a red 1966 Volvo P1800 (owner and car shown above), and yesterday, Volvo says the coupe's odometer clocked its three-millionth mile. The miracle mile occurred on the Seward Highway in Alaska, one of only two states that Gordon had never visited.
It took the New York native more than 20 years to hit his first million miles in 1987 and another 15 years to achieve two million miles in 2002, but a road trip to Alaska will further cement his place in the record books as the car surpasses three million miles. Gordon has almost doubled the 1.69-million mile distance that helped him win a Guinness Book of World Records title for the most miles logged on an originally owned car, and this new momentous distance proves the durability of both man and machine. For more information on Gordon's feat, scroll down for a Volvo press release or check out a website set up to celebrate his latest milestone.

Junkyard Gem: 1965 Volvo Amazon Wagon with a heartfelt goodbye

Volvo did reasonably well selling the homely PV444/544 in the United States beginning in the middle 1950s, and its better-looking successor first appeared on our shores as a 1960 model. That was the Amazon, which was available here through 1968. Today's Junkyard Gem is one of those cars, found in a Northern California self-service yard recently. The Amazon name wasn't used on these cars in North America (they were given 122S badging here), but everybody uses the home-market name for these cars by this time. The engine is Volvo's reliable 1.8-liter pushrod straight-four, rated at 115 horsepower and 112 pound-feet. The transmission is a four-speed manual. I've found quite a few discarded Amazons during my junkyard travels, as these are rugged cars that have long inspired powerful affection from their owners. This one was so beloved that its final owner penned a farewell note to its flank before sending it on its final tow-truck ride to Pick-n-Pull. The car saved at least two lives, though it would have been nice to get more details here. The car that did it all! It was in rough shape by the time of its retirement, with the top-down rust you see on California cars that live near the Pacific and its salt spray. Junkyard shoppers had purchased most of the interior and trim components by the time I arrived. The replacement for the Amazon was the 140, which arrived in the United States as a 1968 model and later evolved into the 200 Series. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Turns you into a Swedish rally driver! This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Volvos are built so well that they last an average of 11 years in Sweden. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The best Amazon commercials are in Swedish, of course.