Electric Volvo C30 Set for Quiet Unveiling at 2010 Detroit Auto Show

DETROIT — The Volvo C30 battery-electric vehicle, which was talked about but not revealed at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, will make its formal debut next week at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. But it will be a quiet unveiling, with no formal press conference scheduled, Volvo told Inside Line on Thursday.

"It's the first time it's being shown, [but] no press conference, just the vehicle on our stand with a spokesperson," said Dan Johnston, Volvo Cars of North America spokesman, in response to an e-mailed query from Inside Line.

Curiously, Johnston said the Volvo C30 BEV is not set to duke it out with the Chevrolet Volt. "[It's the] first time we've been asked that," he said. "Probably no more than we consider a [Ford] Explorer a competitor to our [Volvo] XC90. The market will decide who this kind of vehicle competes against. One point is that whatever we do, the first element is about safety."

Johnston said the launch of the C30 BEV will be limited to Sweden and Europe at first. "Because of the type of travel with range projections on existing battery technology, we see those markets having good potential for everyday urban use that will allow us to monitor and study customer use," he said.

Volvo will build the first units of the C30 BEV this year, with about 50 cars allocated for the test fleet in Sweden. "Test fleet use is scheduled for 2011," said Johnston. "Production has not been stated, but would be 2012-'13 time frame, depending on lots of factors."

Volvo pointed out in a statement that the C30 BEV looks like a regular C30, but it is "powered solely by electricity." The car has a top speed of about 81 mph and a range of up to 93 miles. Acceleration from zero to 60 mph is less than 11 seconds, said Volvo. The C30 BEV is powered by a lithium-ion battery that is charged via a regular power socket.

"The Volvo C30 is the first model we will try out with electric power," said Lennart Stegland, director of Volvo Cars Special Vehicles, in a statement.

No word yet on how much a production version of the Volvo C30 BEV will cost.

Inside Line says: Looks like a Chevy Volt fighter to us, regardless of what Volvo says. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent