Volvo C30 EV Can Fully Charge in Record Time

Volvo is preparing the C30 EV for launch in Europe, and the brand announced today that thanks to its quick charger, the car can be fully juiced up in just 1.5 hours. 

Developed in partnership with Siemens, the new 22 kW fast-charger is fitted inside the car, and is designed to use a three-phase outlet for quick charging times. When hooked up to a regular European 230V power supply, the C30 EV still takes 8-10 hours to fully fill up with power.

“Adding the innovative fast charging solution will radically improve the time and mileage for the daily usage of the car. This will drastically improve the cost of ownership since the customer will now be able to drive many low cost kilometers per day,” says Lennart Stegland,VP of electric propulsion systems at Volvo. “Even a quick 10-minute plug-in adds power for another 20 kilometres of driving,” he finished.

The car is powered by a 120-hp electric motor, that motivates the C30 EV from 0 to 70 kph (43 mph) in 5.9 seconds, a seemingly random measure of speed in America, which must mean something in Sweden.

Starting in the summer of 2013, Volvo will begin leasing a fleet of 100 C30 EVs to European customers, and will begin taking feedback on the technology which the brand hopes to implement in a future series production vehicle.