Mobility News. July – August 2020

owners in Europe using
their car in Pure mode –
which priorities electric-only
operation to maximise driving
on battery power – for 40 per
cent of the time.
Sales of plug-in hybrid
Volvos are also increasing
rapidly in the UK. From
January to May 2020, sales
nearly trebled compared with
the same period in 2019,
accounting for 12.4% of UK
Volvo sales (2019: 4.7%).
How the offer works
The electricity costs for
charging the car will be
calculated from June 2020
and repaid to customers at
the end of the 12-month
period, based on a thirdparty-provided
average cost
of electricity in the UK**.
How much electricity each
customer uses will be
monitored via the Volvo On
Call app, which also allows the
driver to monitor the charge
status of the car’s battery via
their mobile device.
The offer is open to
both private and business
customers. Since Volvo’s
intention is to encourage
drivers to get into the habit
of regularly plugging in their
car to keep its hybrid battery
charged, it is the company car
driver who will receive the
refund at the end of the year
as opposed to their employer.
Industry-leading plug-in
hybrid range
Volvo leads the UK market
in offering a plug-in hybrid
version of every model in its
range, so the Take Charge
offer applies to all Volvo
customers, no matter which
model they are interested in.
The newest addition to
Volvo’s plug-in hybrid range
is the XC40 Recharge Plug-in
Hybrid. Combining a 180hp
petrol engine with an 82hp
electric motor, it offers CO2
emissions from just 47g/
km and official fuel economy
of up to 134.5mpg (WLTP
Combined cycle). Its highvoltage
battery also allows
it to travel up to 27 miles on
electric power alone, making
it possible to complete many
journeys without using a drop
of petrol.
Volvo’s carbon-reduction
ambitions
The reimbursed electricity
offer is just part of Volvo’s
wide-ranging plans to reduce
the lifecycle carbon footprint
of all its new cars by 40 per
cent by 2025. The introduction
of electrified powertrains –
including full battery electric
in the recently announced
XC40 Recharge Pure Electric
– will help Volvo bring down
the overall tailpipe emissions
of its cars by 50 per cent
by 2025. Other short-term
ambitions include a 25
per cent reduction of CO2
emissions related to its global
supply chain by 2025, and
a 25 per cent reduction of
carbon emissions generated
by the company’s overall
operations, including car
production and logistics.
These targets all go towards
Volvo’s goal of becoming a
climate-neutral business by
2040.
Kristian Elvefors, Volvo
Car UK Managing Director,
said: “Sustainability is crucial
at Volvo, and that involves
helping everyone to do what
they can to drive in the most
environmentally friendly way
possible. The extension of our
Take Charge offer allows us
to cover a year’s electricity
charging costs for even more
plug-in hybrid customers,
helping them make the most
of their new car’s electric
potential, and saving them
money along the way.”
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