455hp Recharge T8 becomes Volvo's most powerful drivetrain

Volvo has updated the Recharge plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain on its 90 and 60 series models, with longer electric range and lowered CO2 emissions.

Thanks to the update, a power output of 455hp is available in the Recharge T8 powertrain. This made the T8 powered-cars the most powerful Volvo car ever produced, the Swedish carmaker said.    

The longer range and the 455hp comes from the battery, which features another layer of cells to up its kWh rating from 11.6 to 18.8. A 145hp rear electric motor is paired to the battery. All of these result in the Recharge T8's power, and the Recharge T6's 350hp. 

That all-electric range has been extended to 90 kilometers on a single charge, as estimated by the Worldwide Harmonized Light-duty Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). It's also estimated that under the WLTP testing, C02 emission are reduced by 50 percent. 

As the average upscale car driver travels fewer that 50 kilometers each weekday, according to research the carmaker cited, the extended range will allow the driver to use electric power only on each trip. 

After the XC60 and V and S90 Recharge cars have depleted the juice in 50 kilometers, the cars' four-cylinder internal combustion engines will then take care of propulsion. Afterwards, their batteries will be plugged in and charged like in a full EV. 

As for the electric motor, it's said to raise the power to the rear wheels by 65 percent, "enhancing the performance" of the all-wheel drive system. The AWD can prove handy in low speeds, when towing, or when driving on slippery roads that demand extra traction, Volvo said. 

The suite of upgrades includes the addition of one-pedal drive already seen on pure electric Volvo models. It gives the driver the option of controlling both acceleration and deceleration with only the accelerator pedal. It will be rolled out initially on the XC60, S90, and V90 Recharge PHEVs. 

Customer research showed that Volvo plug-in hybrids are already now driven around half of the time in pure electric mode. 

“Driving a plug-in hybrid is often a stepping stone to going fully electric,” Volvo Chief Technology Officer Henrik Green said. “We believe that this upgrade will show to many that driving electric is the future, and take us closer to our 2030 ambition of becoming fully electric.”

Volvo aims that by the middle of this decade, it will sell 1.2 million cars globally, with at least half being fully electric cars. By 2030, it plans to become a fully electric car company.

Photos from Volvo 

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