More power and battery capacity for Volvo 60 and 90 series plug-in hybrids

Volvo Cars has introduced an improved plug-in hybrid powertrain on its 90 and 60 series models.

The improved hybrid powertrain brings the all-electric range up to a projected 90km on a single charge. Volvo states this range will allow most premium vehicle owners to complete their daily motoring on pure electric power with home charging.

The main improvements to the plug-in hybrid drivetrain include a new long-range battery. It features a new third layer of cells to increase nominal energy from 11.6kWh to 18.8kWh.

A more powerful rear electric motor also now delivers 143bhp. The additional electric power results in a total combined output of 345bhp for Recharge T6 and 449bhp for Recharge T8 models.

The increased battery capability means that more customers will be able to drive primarily in pure electric mode, and Volvo Cars estimates that the new powertrain has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to around 50% under the WLTP drive cycle.

Also new for the 60 and 90 series plug-in hybrid models is the addition of one-pedal drive. The function, already seen on pure electric Volvo models, gives the driver the option of controlling both acceleration and deceleration with only the accelerator pedal. It will be rolled out initially on the Volvo XC60, S90 and V90 Recharge plug-in hybrids.