Volvo’s new V60 plug-in hybrid is proving so successful that Volvo are trying to double production to 10,000 a year to cope with demand.
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It’s particularly appealing if you like a car with a decent turn of speed – the V60 will do 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds – like the reassurance and practicality of 4WD – the V60’s electric motor drives the back wheels – drive in to London on a regular basis – the 48g/km emissions are congestion charge free – and get taxed as BIK from your company.
If all those apply – and you already appreciate the Volvo V60 is a very good car to start with – then the V60 plug-in hybrid is a bit of a no-brainer, even with a headline price of nearly £50k (which gets within £6k of an equivalent non plug-in after the taxpayer has chipped in).
It seems that many buyers agree, and Volvo is being inundated with orders. It planned to built just 1,000 plug-in V60s in the first year, rising to 4-6000 in 2014, but with orders flying in from around Europe from car buyers seeking a way to escape ‘CO2 Taxes’ (Dutch drivers alone have ordered 3,000) Volvo are trying to increase production to 10,000 a year.
That may sound straightforward – especially as the V60 plug-in is built on the same production line as the regular V60 (and the V70, S80 and XC90) – but there are a lot of extra components in the plug-in that have to come from Volvo’s supply chain, so it’s not just a question of building more V60 plug-ins but getting the bits to make them in the first place.
But with a hit car on their hands, we’re sure Volvo will find a way.
Source: Auto Motor Sport
Dteamer says
Definitely worth the money if you were otherwise going to grab a T6 V60 as a company car. BIK rates for this year on the T6 are 35% and on the Plug in just 5%. Based on a £40k list and a 40% taxpayer the difference is nearly £5k a year tax saving!