Volvo Officially Reveals C30 Electric Prototype

It’s official: Volvo is developing an electric version of its C30 hatchback.

Although reports of such a project emerged earlier last month, Volvo only officially acknowledged the existence of the C30 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) project this week. According to the Swedish automaker, it’s built “a small number” of the cars for internal use and testing.

An undisclosed electric motor drives the front wheels, but seeing as the C30 BEV program is aiming to share as many parts as possible with the V70 Plug-In Hybrid prototype, it may be of a similar design. (Volvo’s not talked specifics on either model.) The battery packs are similar, but the 24 kWh lithium ion battery pack holds approximately twice the energy of the V70’s, allowing the C30 to have a range of 93 miles on a full charge.

Specifications are thus far sketchy, but Volvo does reveal the four-seat EV has a limited top speed of 80 mph, and can scoot from 0-62 mph in less than 11 seconds. Since others are already working on electrifying the C30’s C1 platform, it wouldn’t be hard for Volvo to eventually market such a vehicle, but for the time being, the company is reiterating its main focus is plug-in hybrids, not BEVs.