Volvo has unveiled its second plug-in hybrid concept at the 2012 North American International Auto Show and this is dubbed as the “Volvo XC60”. According to Volvo, the vehicle will eventually provide the other plug-in hybrid models in the market with a stiffer competition as soon as this is offered for sale since the company has invested a lot of time, money, and resources in the production of this vehicle. Given the fact that the XC60 concept is a plug-in hybrid, this is expected to compete with other vehicles of similar orientation such as the Chevrolet Volt and the Toyota Prius.
Volvo has also stressed out that the XC60 was specially made for the US market and buyers since the vehicle has a gasoline engine that the majority of the American. This simply means that the XC60 will most likely be sold in the US alone since the company has been planning to sell the Volvo V60 which is equipped with a diesel engine in Europe where buyers prefer diesel-powered vehicles over those that are using gasoline engines later this year.
Aside from the fact that the XC60 concept was designed as a plug-in hybrid, this vehicle also boasts of its orientation as an all-in one hybrid, performance, and electric vehicle. This simply means that the XC60 is capable of running as a hybrid, electric, and performance car since Volvo has installed three buttons on the vehicle’s instrument panel where the driver could choose the driving mode. By pressing one of the three buttons the XC60 could easily run in “pure,””hybrid,” and “power” mode.
When driven in “pure” mode, the XC60 run as an electric vehicle with its electric motor providing all of the needed power. This mode allows the car to run at a range of about 35 miles. The “hybrid” mode on the other hand is the standard setting of the car and this is activated whenever the vehicle is started. When running on hybrid mode, the XC60 has a range of 600 miles with an estimated combined fuel economy of up to 50 miles per gallon. Finally, the “power” mode allows the vehicle to run as a performance vehicle with its 280 horsepower 4-cylinder engine and 70 horsepower electric motor working together.
