Volvo C30 Electric Undergoes Harsh Winter Testing in the Extreme North

One of the major fears consumers have regarding electric vehicles, besides range anxiety, is how these cars are going to function in rough weather conditions. We all know batteries are sensitive to extreme temperatures, which can affect their capacity of storing electricity.

This is why Volvo is trying out its C30 Electric model in the north of Sweden, inside the Arctic Circle. Temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius are something normal in this part of the world, so Volvo engineers want to ensure the battery-powered car runs smoothly even in harsh environments.

Volvo has developed several new test methods for its electric vehicles, with the C30 Electric having to undergo over 200 different tests. "We must ensure that the C30 Electric performs as intended when driving, parking and charging in a variety of conditions, from normal to very cold or hot. Northern Sweden is the perfect place to do sub-zero temperature testing," says Lennart Stegland, director of Volvo Cars' Special Vehicles.

To cope with freezing temperatures, the C30 Electric is equipped with three different climate systems: one for the passenger cabin, one for the battery pack and one for the electric motor and power electronics (with the latter being water-cooled). Since there is no conventional combustion engine aboard, the C30 Electric is fitted with a bio-ethanol powered heater that takes care of passenger cabin heating. The car comes equipped with a tank that can carry 14.5 liters of bio-ethanol.

This solution is used in order to save energy from the batteries for driving range. However, on short distances it is also possible to heat or cool the cabin with electricity from the battery-pack.

Under normal driving conditions, maximum range is estimated at 150 km (93 miles) on a single battery charge. However, at temperatures of -10 degrees Celsius, Volvo says the C30 Electric will cover up to 90 km (56 miles) or 80 km (49.7 miles) at -33 degrees Celsius. The car is powered by an 82kW electric motor (110HP) linked to a lithium-ion battery, which takes up to eight hours to charge completely.

The car can reach a top speed of 130 km/h (80.7 mph) and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.5 seconds. Scroll down to watch the Volvo C30 Electric during cold weather testing.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

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VIDEO

WTCC Debut in Brazil for Polestar Racing’s Volvo C30 DRIVe

The Polestar Racing prepared Volvo C30 DRIVe will make its premiere at the FIA World Touring Car Championship [WTCC] in the opening round of the 2011 season at Curitiba in Brazil this weekend. Polestar’s factory-backed C30 has already competed in the Swedish and Scandinavian Touring Car Championships, but being that the WTCC is a different beast altogether, the company said that it will not race to win this year, but to further develop the car for the 2012 season.

"Volvo Cars has given us a sound mission to evaluate the championship, meaning that we are initially not focusing on results but rather on preparing a base that we could build upon for 2012. We have got an exciting and rewarding challenge ahead of us," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Polestar Racing.

Among other changes, Polestar Racing is readying a new engine for its WTCC C30 DRIVe.

"We are starting the season with our current two liter engine, before later in the year switching to an all-new 1.6-liter turbo engine, based on a completely new Volvo engine family. We are currently working flat out with the new engine and we are confident of our progress," said Dahl.

The company added that the the first race of the year is also going to showcase a new livery of the Volvo C30 DRIVe racing car, which is painted in Polestar’s distinctive blue hue, also featured on the 405HP C30 Polestar concept prototype.

WTCC VOLVO C30 DRIVe SPECS

Bodywork
Original bodywork reinforced with roll cage and side impact protection on the driver's side, developed in collaboration with Semcon. Aerodynamics: front air splitter, wheel arch wideners and rear wings developed by Polestar in Volvo's wind tunnel.

Engine
4-cylinder transverse all-aluminium in-line engine 1600 cc direct injected turbo, with four valves per cylinder. Original cylinder blocks and cylinder heads modified while valves, camshafts, pistons, connecting rods and crankshaft replaced with racing-specific components. Designed and tested by Polestar.

Oil
Castrol 5W-30

Power/torque (estimated)
340hp at 6000 rpm and 450Nm at 5000 pm.

Exhaust system
Stainless steel, with catalytic converter.

Driveline
6-speed sequential gearbox with straight-cut gears. Front wheel drive. Mechanical differential with torque-controlled friction discs. 184 mm twin-disc carbon fibre clutch.

Oil Castrol
TWS 10W-60.

Weight
1 164 kg including driver (68-75 kg)

Front suspension
Öhlins MacPherson struts, developed in collaboration with Polestar. Racing-specific wishbones and adjustable anti-roll bar.

Rear suspension
Multi-link system with coil springs and Öhlins shock absorbers. Racing-specific wishbones and adjustable anti-roll bar.

Front brakes
Performance Friction 4-piston caliper with 332x32 mm radially ventilated discs.

Rear brakes
Alcon 2-piston caliper with 290x10 mm discs. Steering servo-assisted rack and pinion steering.

Wheel rims & Tyres
17x9", Yokohama, slicks (no tread) or rain tires (treaded)

Volvo Reduces Price of Entry-Level C30 to £15k in the UK

There’s less to pay for UK buyers looking to get into a Volvo C30 sport hatch as the Swedish automaker announced a significant £1,300 price cut to the entry-level model which now starts from £14,995 on the road. The C30 ES features a 2.0-liter petrol engine with 145HP and comes equipped with electronic climate control, 16-inch alloys, leather steering wheel and gearlever, a stability system (DSTC), power windows, information centre, and a CD player with auxiliary input.

In the UK, the C30 is available with a variety of petrol and diesel engines ranging from the 145HP 2.0-liter petrol to the 230HP T5 and 115HP D2 to the 177HP D4, as well as a choice of trim levels including the sporty R-Design.