Volvo offers free electricity 08 | 11 | 2019
VOLVO IS GIVING a year’s free supply of electricity with any of its new plug-in hybrid vehicles purchased between now and 30 June 2020. Available to both retail and business/company car customers, Volvo hopes the initiative will will reduce the tailpipe emissions of its PHEV range in the real world, by encouraging fleet drivers to use the electric portion of their vehicle’s drivetrain. (Related: Roadtest — Volvo XC40)
Each vehicle’s electricity usage will be stored on the driver’s smartphone using Volvo’s On Call app. The electricity costs for charging the car at home will be calculated from May 2020 and reimbursed to the customer the following year, based on the average UK electricity tariff.
Because Volvo’s intention is to encourage drivers to get into the habit of keeping their car’s hybrid battery charged, it’s the company car driver who will receive the refund at the end of the year rather than their employer. (Related: Roadtest — Volvo S60 T5 R-Design)
The new offer applies to the entire line-up, including the recently launched XC40 T5 plug-in hybrid premium compact SUV. With a 180hp petrol engine and an 82hp electric motor, it is the most efficient version of the multi-award-winning XC40, offering official fuel economy of up to 141.1mpg (WLTP Combined cycle) and CO2 emissions from just 38g/km.
“At Volvo, in keeping with our Swedish roots, we’ve always taken a keen interest in looking after the environment,” Kristian Elvefors, Volvo Car UK managing director, said. “Our recently stated ambition to become a carbon-neutral company by 2040 shows we are serious about addressing climate change.
“It’s crucial we help our plug-in hybrid customers understand how they can make the most of their car’s electric potential. So, by meeting their electricity charging costs for a year, we can encourage them to develop the good habit of regularly recharging their car’s battery, as well as saving them money at the same time.” (Related: UK dealers get Volvo Online sales)
Volvo recently announced its intention to achieve a cut of 40% between 2018 and 2025, a key step towards its goal of becoming a climate-neutral business by 2040. By adopting cleaner, electrified powertrains, it will bring down overall tailpipe emissions by 50% by 2025, while also working to significantly reduce the environmental impact of its manufacturing, supply chain, logistics and other operations, targeting a 25% reduction by 2025.
From next year, the first question asked of visitors to Volvo’s customer website will be whether they want their car with a plug, or not. At the same time, a new Recharge branding will be introduced for the company’s growing range of plug-in hybrid and fully electric cars.
Related: Volvo to impose 122mph speed limit
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Jim McGill