Volvo Plug-In Hybrid by 2012

Volvo hasn’t had the easiest of times lately, so it’s good to see it pushing ahead with new technology and innovations. Today Volvo has announced that, in partnership with Swedish Energy supplier Vattenfall, it is to pursue an electric Hybrid that will hit the market in 2012.

Laudable though this intent is, it’s a little like the Vauxhall / Opel Ampera – it relies on technology that doesn’t yet exist to deliver what it promises. But to get things moving, Volvo are going to be running a number of Volvo V70 diesel-electric Hybrids round Europe this year, to guage customer feedback and try to establish exactly what the consumer wants.

They also want to establish exactly what the consumer can live with in terms of ‘Re-fuelling’. It’s long been a bone of contention with us that Hybrid and Plugin cars don’t address the fundamental issue of refuelling on the go. But Volvo are to look at the viability of quick-charge stations so drivers can ‘splash and dash’ when they need to.

This does make sense for Volvo, as it seeks to make itself viable in an increasingly difficult landscape. Whether Volvo believes Hybrids are the way forward, or whether they believe they will provide a short to mid term solution that might give them an edge, we don’t know.

But the fact they are touting a car that can’t exist unless technology moves forward – a car they are promising will deliver emissions around 50g/km – is a little disingenuous.

Still, they’re trying.