Swedish manufacturer Volvo has revealed that it is set to trial the all-electric version of their C30 hatchback, called the C30 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV). From 2011 they will offer 50 cars for trial – each one lasting for about 2 years.

We first caught a glimpse of an electric C30 concept in September as Volvo aimed to launch it later, at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show next month.

The car gets quite a few modifications from the original C30, including many batteries which manage to produce a very reasonable 111 bhp and instant torque. Volvo say that this electric car will reach 60mph in 10.5 seconds – a lot faster than your normal electric car. It has a 93 mile range and to fully recharge the batteries, it takes about eight hours from a regular household socket. I give Volvo the thumbs up and wish them success with their program, as this is a neat attempt to make an electric car that handles and performs like a normal car.

Source: Autocar