Volvo Cars introduces new electrified powertrains

Volvo Cars has upgraded and newly-developed electrified powertrain options to be made available across its entire model range. The company has upgraded its existing T8 and T6 twin engine plug-in hybrid powertrains, while at the same time confirmed that plug-in options will now be available on every model it produces. The new mild hybrid models will come with Volvo’s advanced kinetic energy recovery braking system, which is coupled with its existing internal combustion engines to create a new integrated electrified powertrain, under its new ‘B’ badge.  It will be introduced in the diesel and petrol versions of the XC90 and XC60 SUV models.

This new powertrain, electrified via brake-by-wire energy recovery, is claimed to offer drivers up to 15 per cent fuel savings and emission reductions in real-world driving. The new brake-by-wire system interacts with the energy recovery system and reduces fuel consumption and emissions by recovering kinetic energy under braking. 

With this, up to 25 per cent of total production can be twin-engine plug-in hybrid cars. In addition, it expects its new ‘B’ badged powertrains to gradually become the new standard, moving it closer to its goal that by the middle of the next decade all of its cars will be electrified. 

There will be new and upgraded powertrains introduced on Volvo’s larger Scalable Product Architecture (SPA)-based cars. The upgraded T8 twin-engine plug-in hybrid with up to 420 horsepower due to the new battery and brake-by-wire advanced battery charging is claimed to have its range increased by around 15 percent and this powertrain is available on all 90 and 60 Series cars.

Volvo has revealed that an upgraded version of the smaller capacity T6 twin-engine plug-in hybrid is also combined with the new battery and brake-by wire-technology. This powertrain also offers an approximate 15 per cent range increase and is available on the V60 estate and S60 sedan.

The XC90 will be available with a B5-badged mild hybrid petrol or diesel variant, as well as a B6-badged petrol mild hybrid. On the XC60, customers will be able to choose between a B5 mild hybrid petrol or diesel variant, a B4 diesel mild hybrid as well as a B6 petrol mild hybrid. The B5 petrol will be available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

The company’s smaller Compact Modular Architecture (CMA)-based XC40 SUV will also receive a new electrified option in the form of a T5 Twin Engine petrol-plug-in hybrid. A second, T4 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid option will follow later.