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Volvo rolls out improved Recharge plug-in hybrid powertrain for 90 and 60 series, creating 'most powerful Volvos ever'

The refreshed Volvo V90 Recharge T8 plug-in hybrid in Platinum Grey
The refreshed Volvo V90 Recharge T8 plug-in hybrid in Platinum Grey The refreshed Volvo V90 Recharge T8 plug-in hybrid in Platinum Grey

VOLVO has introduced a new improved Recharge plug-in hybrid powertrain on its 90 and 60 series models which it claims will "significantly extend electric range while lowering CO2 emissions, increasing performance and improving driveability".

The new and improved hybrid powertrain brings the all-electric range up to a projected 56 miles WLTP on a single charge. Volvo say that, as the "average premium car owner" travels less than 31 miles each weekday, most drivers with a home charging set-up will be able to do their daily motoring on pure electric power in a new Volvo plug-in hybrid.

Improvements include a new long-range battery, featuring a third layer of cells to increase nominal energy from 11.6kWh to 18.8kWh, and a more powerful rear electric motor now delivering 145hp.


Technical cutaway Volvo Cars' new Recharge plug-in hybrid powertrain
Technical cutaway Volvo Cars' new Recharge plug-in hybrid powertrain Technical cutaway Volvo Cars' new Recharge plug-in hybrid powertrain

The additional electric power results in a total combined output of 350hp for Recharge T6 and 455hp for Recharge T8 models, making the latter the most powerful Volvo cars ever produced.

Volvo estimates that the new powertrain has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to around 50 per cent under the WLTP drive cycle.

The new and improved e-motor ups the power to the rear wheels by 65 per cent. Together with the boosted battery, the upgraded e-motor also enables better all-wheel-drive capability.

The extra battery capacity also means that drivers are able to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin remotely via the Volvo Cars app without affecting range capability.

The new powertrain is introduced on all Volvo Recharge plug-in hybrid models based on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which includes the Volvo S60, V60, XC60, S90, V90 and XC90 Recharge models.


XC60 Model Year 2022
XC60 Model Year 2022 XC60 Model Year 2022

Along with the powertrain improvements, the turbocharged T8 petrol engine has been upgraded for higher fuel efficiency and performance with reduced CO2 tailpipe emissions.

The suite of upgrades includes the addition of one-pedal drive, a function already seen on pure electric Volvo models, which gives drivers the option of controlling both acceleration and deceleration using only the accelerator pedal. It will be rolled out initially on the Volvo XC60, S90 and V90 Recharge plug-in hybrids.

The updated Recharge models are on sale now, with first customer deliveries expected in the first quarter of 2022. Pricing details available at volvocars.co.uk.