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Volvo Recharge models get more power and electric range

Volvo Belgium announced a few big improvements for plug-in hybrid models on the automaker's Scalable Product Architecture, meaning the 60 and 90 series Recharge models — S60, V60, XC60, S90, V90 and XC90. First, the battery's been given another layer of cells, upping capacity from 11.6 kWh to 18.8 kWh. At the moment, Volvo's UK site advertises two figures for all-electric range on the WLTP cycle for the XC60 and XC90, and says the S90 can already do 90 kilometers on a charge. The spec pages, however, say the XC60 can do 32 kilometers maximum, the XC90 able to go 30 kilometers. With the new battery, Volvo says all-electric range has improved to up to 90 kilometers (56 miles) on the WLTP cycle, but that will surely depend on model. Our U.S.-market XC90 PHEV is EPA-rated at 18 miles of battery-electric driving. A 62% increase would put that at about 30 miles. Just as good as the battery boost, the 87-horsepower e-motor that powers the rear axle on the Recharge trims is goosed to 145 hp. The T6 Recharge powertrain will make 350 combined horsepower, ten horses more than currently, and the T8 Recharge powertrain will make a combined 455 hp, a considerable 65 horses more than now. That makes the coming T8 the most powerful Volvo ever put into series production. The T8's 2.0-liter twin-charged engine has also been engineered for more efficiency as well as "higher engine power at low revs and at start-up," but Volvo hasn't offered specifics on that yet.  Finally, drivers will be able to control all that go with just the accelerator pedal, Volvo adding single pedal drive on the XC60 Recharge, S90 Recharge, and V90 Recharge. There's no word on when we might see them; introduction sometime during the 2022 model year seems sensible. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Polestar gets $1.6 billion boost from Volvo, other big stakeholder

Polestar said on Thursday it had secured $1.6 billion in financing from its two main shareholders to help it deliver its growth plans amid volatile markets. Volvo, which co-founded the brand with China's Geely in 2017, said it would provide an $800 million loan to the firm. Its other major shareholder, PSD Investment, will provide the same amount through "direct and indirect financial and liquidity support," Polestar said. Volvo, which owns just over 48% in Polestar, said its loan included options for Volvo to convert some of its loans to equity in a potential future equity raising by Polestar. "We welcome the continued support from our major shareholders at a time when the capital markets are volatile and unpredictable," Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said in a statement. The Sweden-based carmaker said the funding, alongside previously secured resources, would provide the company with sufficient funds through 2023. In June, Polestar was listed on the Nasdaq through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). Volvo, like other major carmakers, has in recent years invested heavily in making its own electric vehicles and has also said it was committed to supporting Polestar. Volvo aims to sell only fully electric cars by 2030, while Polestar has a goal to launch three more cars by 2026. In February, Volvo formed a joint venture with battery manufacturer Northvolt to build a battery plant in Gothenburg which would produce battery cells specifically for electric Volvo and Polestar cars. However, carmakers and suppliers are struggling as costly investments in an electric future coincide with rampant inflation and soaring energy prices. Polestar's third quarter results are due on Nov. 11 Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2024 Polestar 3 revealed

Volvo demos autonomous self-parking car concept

A number of companies are developing autonomous vehicle technology - Google and Audi come to mind - but Volvo is applying its work in the area to a particular usage case: parking. The Swedish automaker has the technology up and running in a concept vehicle, which it says can be dropped off at the curb by its owner and left to its own devices to enter and navigate a car park, then find and park in an available parking spot. Volvo says the process can even be reversed when the owner is ready to go, with the car leaving the car park on its own to meet its key-holder again at the curb.
The vehicle first interacts with Vehicle 2 Infrastructure technology, which places transmitters in the road itself to inform the car (and driver) if the self-parking service is available. The driver then hops out, activates the Self Parking function on his or her smartphone and then leaves the car to do its work. The car uses sensors, all seemingly hidden from view (an advancement of its own in this field), to autonomously navigate the car park, which includes interacting and adjusting to other cars, people and objects.
The technology used here builds off of Volvo's other work in autonomous vehicle research, namely the Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) project in which the company managed to create a train of four cars autonomously following a lead truck at speeds up 56 miles per hour. Volvo says the first application of its autonomous research in a production vehicle will happen at the end of 2014 with some level of autonomous steering available in the next-generation XC90. See the system in action by watching the video below.