Volvo is using the Detroit Auto Show to highlight the issue of electric car safety in its own inimitable way.
The Swedish manufacturer with a long-standing image for being safety conscious is using its stand at the show to display a Volvo C30 Electric which has been subjected to a 40mph frontal collision test. The increased interest in electric vehicles as a consequence of climate change concerns has resulted in increased sales, but Volvo has a stated aim that reduced emissions should not be an excuse for reduced safety.
The Volvo C30 Electric being exhibited underwent a crash test at Volvo's laboratory last month, where it was put through a so-called offset collision in which 40 percent of the front of the car hit a barrier at 40 mph.
Volvo Cars' President and CEO Stefan Jacoby commented on the findings, "Our tests show it is vital to separate the batteries from the electric car's crumple zones to make it as safe as a conventional car. In Detroit we are the first car maker to show the world what a truly safe electric car looks like after a collision with high-speed impact."
Volvo found that, due to the structure of an electric car differing considerably from that of a conventional car, there are new obstacles to be overcome in maintaining safety standards. For example, the battery pack on the Volvo C30 Electric takes up more space than a conventional fuel tank, but some traditional methods have been adapted to the new technology as Jan Ivarsson, Volvo's Senior Manager Safety Strategy & Requirements, explained:
"Our far-reaching research emphasises the importance of separating the lithium-ion batteries from the car's crumple zones and the passenger compartment. This is the same safety approach we apply with regard to the fuel tank in a conventional car", said Ivarsson, "Another challenge is to reinforce the crumple zones at the front where the smaller motor occupies less space than usual."
Volvo is using its attention-grabbing exhibit in Detroit to showcase the safety advances created specifically for its electric vehicles. The structure has been reinforced around the battery pack, and the Volvo C30 Electric's crash sensor shuts off power in 50 milliseconds in the event of a collision by using the same signal that deploys the airbags. The C30 Electric also features a reinforced frontal structure that helps absorb the increased collision energy created as a result of the car's added weight, whilst aiding distribution of collision forces in the way that the engine in a conventional car would do.
"For us, the technology behind electric power is yet another exciting challenge in our drive to build the safest cars in the world," explains Jan Ivarsson, explaining the extensive crash testing carried out on the Volvo C30 Electric.
The first C30 Electrics will be delivered to customers in Volvo's domestic Swedish market early next year before being rolled out across other countries. 2012 will also see the introduction of a plug-in hybrid from Volvo with an electric motor supported by a conventional diesel engine, a combination which will reduce CO2 emissions to under 50g/km.
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