Volvo C30 Electric
Volvo C30 Electric Volvo C30 Electric
Electric cars are making themselves heard louder - many companies are already releasing them or are about to launch them in production. But they have not yet become widespread (market share in 2011 - only 0.1%). And the point is not only the high cost or lack of appropriate infrastructure. One of the main disadvantages of such machines is their inability to winter operating conditions: at minus temperatures, the power reserve is too small. We encountered this when testing the Mitsubishi i MiEV. However, this issue will probably be soon removed, which I became convinced of when testing the electric Volvo-C30 beyond the Arctic Circle.
GREEN, WHITE AND BLUE
Wherever you look, white and white. Other colors are rare here in the suburbs of Kiruna. From the window of the plane it seemed that there, on the ground, tight for thirty. Actually just below zero. Well, how to test the car - where are the harsh winter conditions? But the electric C30 (all, as one, white-blue) was stored for us in special refrigerated boxes, in which it was constantly -25 ºC! I disconnect the network cable from the Volvo’s nose, start the engine, turn on the interior heating to the fullest. After three minutes, it’s already warm inside, and after five - Tashkent. Not like electric cars, not every ordinary car does it! The most surprising: the battery charge is practically not reduced. After all, an autonomous heater running on bioethanol or gasoline warms up the interior. At maximum power, it consumes a liter of fuel per hour.
In general, the C30 has two more climate units. Liquid cooling is provided for the electric motor and control electronics. In addition, there is heating (and in hot weather - cooling) of lithium-ion batteries. It turns on automatically as soon as the temperature drops below -15 ºC.
The electric motor cannot be seen between the three climate systems - it is at the very bottom of the engine compartment
The electric motor cannot be seen between the three climate systems - it is at the very bottom of the engine compartment. The electric motor cannot be seen between the three climate systems - it is at the very bottom of the engine compartment.
There are two batteries: one in the central tunnel, the second under the rear seats. Therefore, in comparison with the standard "thirty", neither the interior nor the trunk of the electric version are closer. But the car is heavier: each of the batteries weighs 140 kg. This is not counting other related equipment. Another problem: express charging is not provided, and in fact almost all competitors have it. To the owner of "Volvo", to completely "electrify", each time will have to wait 10 hours (with a current of 10 A; at 16 A, the process will be reduced to 6-8 hours). So long trips to this car are contraindicated, because the maximum mileage of 150 km will be followed by the inevitable long hours of charging. The Swedes fend off: the townspeople travel an average of 45 km per day, which means that the electric C30 is quite capable of playing the role of an everyday vehicle. Yes, and this hatchback is not designed for travel - not the dimensions of the cabin and trunk.
Volvo wouldn’t have been itself if it hadn’t done serious work to improve its safety: the electric car went through more than a hundred virtual crash tests and 13 real ones. They showed that the electric version protects the crew no worse than the standard. “This information will not be superfluous for you: now you can easily meet deer on the roads. Arrivals on them are not uncommon in our area,”one of the organizers warned before leaving for the route. Looking ahead, I’ll say: deer met, but not on the track, but on the side of it.
THE QUIETER YOU GO, THE FURTHER YOU'LL GET
Judging by the navigator, I have to overcome 74 km. Not much, because twice as much autonomy is promised. But let's see what the trip computer says at the finish.
The interior seems to be completely ordinary. But if you start, you will be surprised at the complete absence of the usual engine noise
The interior seems to be completely ordinary. But if you start, you will be surprised at the complete absence of the usual engine noise. The interior seems to be completely ordinary. But if you start, you will be surprised at the complete absence of the usual engine noise.
Go! I squeeze the rheostat gas to the floor, and the car rushes forward under a violent slip. A 111-horsepower electric car doesn’t care, 20 km / h on a speedometer or 80: in any case, you will feel confident and immediate acceleration (a torque of 220 N.m is always available). And everything happens in absolute silence - you go and rejoice. True, every now and then it is necessary to reset the course from cruising 80 km / h to 40, or even to 30: the Swedes take care of security in settlements like no one else. To slow down, it is not necessary to apply the brake: the machine significantly slows down, it is worth releasing the right pedal, - the recovery system is activated. And yet, a couple of times (outside the city, of course) I scored a maximum of 130 km / h. The machine, judging by the sensations, was capable of more, but the manufacturer believes: if you push the limit of the limit, the power reserve will decrease significantly.
Due to the greater mass, the electric C30 is felt by the driver differently than the usual “thirty”. The suspension obviously works to the limit - the slightest bumps bring it to a breakdown. And in the corners, an impressive weight is felt. Well, at least, the batteries are fixed low and within the wheelbase - this had a positive effect on the weight distribution.
And here is the middle of the road. Here, on the parking lot of the Esrange Space Center base, which will be used by Virgin Galactic to launch space tourists, I turn around and set sail in the opposite direction. Along the way, I notice that the battery is just half discharged. Well, I didn’t drive economically - continuous acceleration and braking. We will be corrected. Exactly: it was worth to go quietly, the situation immediately changed. At the finish line, the sensor showed that the energy reserve decreased by two-thirds. And as soon as the charge is still there, we need to use it - and I went on to wind up kilometers.
The battery warning icon illuminates after approximately 120 km
The battery warning icon illuminates after approximately 120 km. The battery warning icon illuminates after approximately 120 km.
FROM CHARGING TO CHARGING
I traveled around Kiruna and was surprised that the locals did not pay attention to the noiseless white and blue hatchback - they were already used to it. Although in a year of production only about 50 electric Volvo-C30s were made. By the end of the year, they plan to produce another two hundred. Moreover, advanced technology is not offered to private individuals. To buy an electric car can only organizations and only on lease. Fee - 1200 euros per month.
Meanwhile, the computer showed: the charge remains at 20 km. And when the accelerator was pressed on the instrument panel, a turtle began to be displayed, symbolizing that the speed of the car for the sake of lower energy consumption is now limited to 60 km / h. Then the battery low indicator lights up. Now electronics did not allow to go faster than 30 km / h.
