Volvo C30 Electric: A severe cold-weather bashing

Voilvo has been cold weather testing the electric C30 at temperatures as low as -20C

Volvo has been cold weather testing the electric Volvo C30 in Sweden at temperatures down to -20C

We do have more than a degree of scepticism when it comes to electric cars. Actually, it’s not the electric cars that cause us to be sceptical, more so the claims – or a lack of transparency – by car makers, which gets right up our nose.

There’s an implication that the electric car is a replacement for the ICE car. It’s not. Electric cars are really only suited to city dwellers who never venture beyond their local area. Or as a toy to go to the shops or off to the bank or out to a local restaurant or to take the dogs to the woods.

And car makers are disingenuous about the ability of their EVs, particularly their range and their ‘Zero’ emissions. Which we admit is little different than ‘Official’ mpg figures for ICE cars. But at least with ICE cars you can refuel at will.

Moans over, it’s good to see Volvo addressing head-on some of the gripes we have about electric cars, with some severe cold-weather testing of the Electric Volvo C30 in Sweden.

Volvo has been honest enough to say that even with three climate control systems cold weather range is compromised. Even with battery warming from one of the three climate control systems on the C30 BEV the range on the C30 can drop from an average of 95 miles to as low as 45 miles. Mind you, that’s only at stupidly low temperatures – the type you get in Sweden in the depths of winter.

Which could have been even worse if Volvo hadn’t stuffed in to the C30 the modern car equivalent of a paraffin heater. There’s a 14.5 litre bio-ethanol tank to feed a heater that needs about 0.5 litres and hour to maintain temperature.

So your tank of bio-ethanol will keep you toasty warm for up to thirty hours at temperatures way below freezing. Which means you shouldn’t freeze to death whilst waiting for the tow truck in the depths of Winter after you run out of electrickery.

Joined up thinking and transparency from a car maker on EVs. Whatever next?