Volvo C30 Powers Into Production

SYDNEY – June 9, 2011: Volvo's C30 Electric is now in production. Initial deliveries to leasing customers, mainly companies, authorities and governmental bodies, will take place immediately from August, 2011.

The Volvo C30 Electric will be manufactured and delivered to leasing customers throughout Europe, including in Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway.

Tests on a fleet of about 50 cars have been conducted since September 2010, mainly internally at the Volvo Car Corporation. A Volvo C30 Electric was also part of the "One Tonne Life" project in which a family was given the task of living as climatesmart as possible for a period of six months. About 250 cars will be built by end 2012, possibly more if market interest takes off.

The Volvo C30 Electric is built on the regular assembly line in the Ghent factory and then transported to Göteborg for installation of the motor, batteries and other modelspecific electronics. The batteries are installed where the fuel tank normally sits and also in a special compartment in the car's central tunnel. As a result, the luggage compartment is unchanged.

The car is recharged from a regular household power socket. A full recharge takes about seven hours. The operating range is up to 150 kilometres per full charge. Top speed is 130 km/h and the C30 Electric covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 10.9 seconds.

The Volvo C30 Electric project is part of the Volvo Car Corporation's highly ambitious electrification strategy for the forthcoming years. The electric car has attracted considerable international attention.

Volvo Car Australia has expressed interest in the car.

``The C30 Electric car offers the very same comfort, interior space and safety as the standard version of the C30 but can operate on 150km on pure electricity for zero emissions, '' says Volvo Car Australia Public Affairs Manager, Jaedene Hudson.

``Currently we offer our small car customers the C30 DRIVe which uses just 3.9L/100km and emits just 104g/km CO2.

``The C30 Electric is the next step in green motoring from Volvo. We've seen the initial information from Volvo Cars Corporation and have expressed interest in the car. The next stage will be to put together a business case to see if the car will be viable in our market.''