Volvo has chosen Ener1’s lithium-ion batteries for its plug-in hybrid V70 demonstration cars. These cars are being tested in Europe as part of a program to deliver a commercial plug-in hybrid by 2012. The demonstration cars can go for 31 miles on a single charge, and can draw power from a normal household outlet. For long distance trips, the car uses an integrated diesel engine.

Enerdel, Ener1’s manufacturing arm, created the batteries especially for the demonstration cars, which will be used to test out different charging concepts and collect consumer information to ensure that the plug-in hybrids meet the needs of drivers. 

In a press release, Ener1 CEO Charles Grassheimer commented on the demonstration cars:

“These cars and the battery systems constitute a tremendous engineering achievement and a major step forward in the commercial evolution of electric drivetrain technology. Volvo is every bit as demanding as you would expect. They approached this program with the same relentless passion for safety, quality and reliability that made them famous. You can’t ask for a better performance measure than that.”

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