VOLVO ADDS MORE POWER AND MODELS TO FLEXIFUEL RANGE
VOLVO ADDS MORE POWER AND MODELS TO FLEXIFUEL RANGE
Volvo is continuing its long standing commitment to environmental care by adding two new engines and models to its FlexiFuel bio-ethanol range. To power the all new Volvo V70 estate and the new Volvo S80 executive saloon, a two-litre FlexiFuel unit will arrive later this year and will be joined by a five-cylinder 2.5-litre turbocharged engine in 2008.
The new four-cylinder 2.0F produces 145PS and 185Nm of torque and offers fuel consumption of 24.4mpg in the Volvo V70 and 25mpg in the S801. The 2.5F five-cylinder turbocharged FlexiFuel will deliver a power output of 200 PS2.
These new FlexiFuel models join the 125PS 1.8F, which is currently available in the Volvo C30, S40 and V50. With five models now available in FlexiFuel guise, Volvo offers the broadest bio-ethanol range in the UK and expects 10,000 global sales this year.
"Flexifuel has considerable potential in larger models too. That is why we plan to continuously expand the implementation of this technology over the coming years. It's a move that is being driven by the extended availability of biofuels throughout Europe. Biofuel standardisation and guidelines for sustainable production within the EU would make the fuel's development even smoother," says Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President Brand, Business and Product Strategy at Volvo Cars.
The FlexiFuel engines run on renewable E85 bio-ethanol fuel which emits up to 80% less fossil carbon dioxide emissions than petrol3. Running a FlexiFuel vehicle is simple, should E85 not be available, the car can also be powered by petrol - both fuels can go into the same tank in any mixture thanks to the car's innovative engine management system which monitors the blend and automatically modifies the injection and ignition timings to optimise performance.
"No single renewable fuel can replace petrol and diesel by itself. We believe in a multi-energy society where many different fuels and technologies are developed in parallel. E85 is a strong alternative that reduces dependency on fossil fuels, and our Flexifuel programme is an important part of our strategy to contribute to sustainable personal mobility," says Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp.
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Notes to editors
- 1. Preliminary fuel consumption figures. Technical specification and prices for the 2.0F will be announced in the autumn.
- 2. Technical specification and prices for the 2.5F will be announced in the autumn.
- 3. E85 is a renewable fuel made from a biomass source such as corn, wheat or sugar-beet. The CO2 that the crop absorbs during the growing process offsets the exhaust emissions of the car, so it recycles rather than adds CO2 to the atmosphere. E85 bioethanol fuel is currently available at 14 Morrisons sites in the UK - Norwich, Diss, East Dereham, Lowestoft, Ipswich, Taunton, Yeovil, Weston-Super-Mare, Clevedon, Bridgwater, Wellingborough, Cardiff, Derbyshire and Crowborough. Morrisons Supermarket is committed to offering E85 at all new refuelling sites opening during 2007.