2012 Volvo C30 Electric: European Test-Drive

By Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

Contributing Writer BIO

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield is a self-confessed petrol head. She grew up in a carless family but was able at a very early age to name cars passing her on... More

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2011 Volvo C30 Electric

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With a range of engine options available, the four-seat hatchback represents Volvo’s lightest and smallest car. 

It comes as no surprise then that it is the model chosen by Volvo to be electrified in a three year test program involving 250 vehicles. 

Ahead of the start of the project, Volvo invited us to its headquarters in Gothenburg Sweden to get a sneak peak of its revolutionary vehicle. 

Volvo C30 Electric

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Basic Facts

The 2012 Volvo C30 Electric features a front-wheel system driven by an 82 kilowatt (110hp) motor capable of accelerating the car from 0-62 mph in 10.5 seconds. Top speed is a little over 80 mph.

Swiss firm Brusa has provided Volvo with power electronics for the test fleet, controlling the 400V electric drivetrain. Future plans for production vehicles remain undisclosed. 

Power is provided courtesy of a 24 kilowatt-hour EnerDel Lithium-Ion battery pack. In conventional operation, only 22.5 kilowatt-hours of the pack is used.  This gives between 60 and 100 miles of real-world range.

Recharging takes place in around 8 hours, using a 240V, 10A Level 2 charger. 

A final key difference between the C30 Electric and its gasoline counterpart is the redesigned front crumple zone. The absence of a heavy, energy absorbing engine has driven safety-conscious Volvo do develop an entirely new front crumple zone designed to absorb and deflect head-on impacts away from the fragile battery pack. 

The proud display of a crashed C30 Electric at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year emphasises Volvo’s commitment to crash protection in this vehicle. 

Climate Control, Hybrid Heating

Also of note, but worthy of several paragraphs is Volvo’s approach to battery thermal management. Since Volvo is a Swedish company used to building cars for cold climates, the C30 features not one, but two climate control systems. 

Using liquid heating and cooling, the C30 Electric ensures that battery, passengers and motor are all at respective optimum temperatures.  Pre-heating of cabin and car are possible when plugged into a mains outlet, but in addition Volvo has designed a hybrid heating system for very cold weather. 

By including a 4 gallon E85 tank and an ethanol-burning heater, Volvo claims the C30 can operate in temperatures up to -22 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 degrees C) without any significant drop in range - provided ethanol is used to help keep the car warm. 

First Impressions

Externally, there is very little to differentiate the C30 Electric from its gasoline and Diesel-powered siblings, aside from the electrical recharge socket embedded in the front grille. 

Internally, the C30’s seating arrangement and load space remain unaltered, with room for four adults and a few small bags. 

With three doors, the C30 is not the ideal family car, being suited more to city dwellers needing the occasional use of the backseat. 

Unlike other C30s, the centre console of the C30 Electric extends beyond the front seat passengers into the rear. Underneath it resides the battery pack, which is housed in an area of the car outside of its conventional crumple zones. 

Volvo C30 Electric

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Classic Volvo Quality

Admittedly, our time behind the wheel was an agonisingly-short ten minutes, but in that time we were able to familiarise ourselves with the initial character of the car Volvo affectionately calls a “rolling laboratory”.