cover story four-cylinder powertrain is combined with our plug-in hybrid technology. The T8 Twin Engine has a 46-hp (34 kW) crankshaft mounted integrated Starter Generator (CISG); an 87-hp (64 kW) electric motor on the rear axle and 240 Nm of torque. The total system output is 407 hp with 640 Nm of torque with only 49 g of CO2 emissions per kilometer. With a capacity of more than 9 kWh, the 96-cell lithium-ion battery installed inside the vehicle tunnel achieves a range of 43 km on electricity alone. The new XC90 combines several vehicles all rolled into one. The main driving modes are ‘Pure,’ ‘Hybrid’ and ‘Power.’ ‘Pure’ allows largely electric driving at speeds up to around 130 km/h. The ‘Hybrid’ mode combines dynamic driving with optimum fuel consumption. In the ‘Power’ mode, the entire powertrain is optimized to top performance – a fully-fledged substitute for the V8. ‹F›: What is your view on the future of all-electric vehicles over the next years? What technical breakthrough 6 F O C U S could help to make the electric drive more widely accepted? ‹Dr. Peter Mertens›: For some markets – particularly ones with a high population density – the all-electric vehicle is becoming more and more relevant. However, the ranges, the time needed for charging and the costs will continue to limit its acceptance. Already today, good ranges can be achieved with small, light vehicles (e.g. with the Volvo C30 Electric), but customer acceptance remains limited due to the high purchase price. From a current point of view, the Volvo plug-in hybrid technology with high electric range is the best solution for the mobility of the near future. Regarding technical breakthroughs, the battery costs have already started to fall, but a technical breakthrough is needed in the power density. The costs of the overall system need to decline further to reach customer acceptance, and that without receiving subsidies. ‹F›: Europe is an automotive market which is heavily dominated by the diesel engine. How would you view the future of the diesel engine against the backdrop of the increasingly rigorous emission limits? Can the diesel engine help to meet the fleet CO2 emission limits required by the EU? And will Volvo still be offering a model with diesel hybrid drive in the future? ‹Dr. Peter Mertens›: The more stringent exhaust emission limits are leading to increased cost pressure on diesel-powered engines. Moreover, the gasoline engine is rapidly approaching the specific fuel consumption figures of compressionignition engines, primarily due to downsizing and downspeeding. But, obviously, development efforts focusing on the diesel engine have not come to a standstill either. The proportion of diesel engines in our European sales is high, and we expect them to remain so for the next 20 years. Volvo’s Drive-E diesel powertrain is contributing substantially to reaching the average fleet CO2 emission levels, and I’m excited to see the way my engineers are already working on solutions for the 95 g CO2 limit. We want the plug-in hybrid development – following the successful V60 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), the XC90 Twin Engine model – to be a global solution for our most important markets China, Europe and the U.S. That’s why we decided in favor of the gasoline-powered PHEV. Our next step will be to develop an affordable hybrid concept for the mass market. Our modular systems also allow us to represent a PHEV with our diesel powertrain in a very short time, but it is essential that the sales figures and investments are properly balanced. ‹F›: As part of its ‘Towards Zero’ mission, Volvo is constantly working on the continued reduction of consumption and CO2 emissions. What technical powertrain measures play a key role in this process? ‹Dr. Peter Mertens›: With the Drive-E powertrain, we already have the perfect basis for further reductions in CO2. Our engines and transmissions today are regarded as benchmarks – and we want them to stay that way! Aside from further improvements to friction, injection > Volvo S60 Demonstration vehicle with the 450 bhp high-performance four-cylinder engine developed jointly by Volvo and AVL.
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