Volvo C30 Battery Electric Vehicle, shown at 2010 Detroit Auto Show

Volvo C30 Battery Electric Vehicle, shown at 2010 Detroit Auto Show

It isn’t clear when the switch happened, but at some point automotive manufacturers decided that electric vehicles (EVs) were worth investing valuable R&D monies. Recently, AllSmallCars.com has reported on the Chevrolet Volt and the numerous awards it is winning from the automotive press, the Nissan LEAF, the announcement of the first markets to receive the Ford Focus EV and the worldwide debut of the Honda Fit EV at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. Electric cars seem to be all the rage in today’s industry (okay, so it may have taken a couple decades for them to become almost viable) and Volvo isn’t looking to be left behind. If you haven’t heard or read about it, let us introduce to you the Volvo C30 DRIVe—yes the electric version of Edward Cullen’s car from Twilight.

Volvo C30 BEV

Volvo C30 BEV

Why do I reference Twilight? For the same reason that Audi has Justin Timberlake advertising the A3. If the Twilight movies were being made in this automotive climate, you might have seen Edward driving a Volvo C30 DRIVe in the movie when he rescues Bella. Surely a vampire that has been around for centuries can appreciate the green aspect of an all-electric car, right? Getting back to the C30 DRIVe, this is a significant step for Volvo as it marks their first pure EV. Even more of a testament to how robust the electric technology is becoming, the Volvo EV is reported to provide a competitive 100-mile range, 10-second 0-60 mph time and an 80-mph top speed. Of course, it can be charged on 110-volt or 220-volt, but the charge times haven’t yet been disclosed. Neither has the estimated price.

However, if you are C30 lover or a Volvo aficionado and you just can’t wait to check one of these C30 DRIVe EVs out for yourself, then you are look at the fall of 2012 to get up close and personal. Our bet is that is will be competitively priced with more of a sport/luxury edge.

 

[Source: Autoweek]