Volvo Attempts Highway Robbery In California For Its XC90 T8 PHEV
Originally published on EV Obsession.
While solar photovoltaic installations are probably the first thing to come to mind when one brings up the subject of self-powered electric vehicle charging stations, there are in fact many other options.
With that in mind, while the type of generation modality utilized by Volvo for its recent “Highway Robbery” installation in Southern California probably isn’t very practical for such purposes, you can’t help but appreciate the thought.
I’m talking here about the company’s use of a custom-designed peristaltic hydraulic pump, placed over a section of highway in California, thereby allowing the generation of electricity from cars traveling over the pump. This electricity was used to power a nearby electric vehicle (EV) charging station — which was used to recharge one of the company’s Volvo XC90 T8 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) as part of a PR stunt. Thus, “Highway Robbery” — a very Swedish sort of humor I guess.
Gas 2 provides some more:
Volvo is justly proud of its XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid. The car is a technological tour de force. Not only is its gasoline engine turbocharged, it also features an electric supercharger to force feed the engine at low rpm’s. It has two electric motors in the driveline — one incorporated into the transmission and another powering just the rear wheels. Put it all together and the XC90 T8 PHEV pumps out 400 horsepower. Yet it still gets respectable mileage, especially if most of the driving is done in electric only mode. Range is around 25 miles.
…”A peristaltic pump is a type of positive displacement pump used for pumping a variety of fluids.” says Wikipedia. “The fluid is contained within a flexible tube fitted inside a circular pump casing. A rotor with a number of rollers attached …..compresses the flexible tube.”
“The all-new Volvo XC90 T8 proves that great power can come from anywhere, from traditional engines to electric motors, and beyond,” stated John Militello, Director of Marketing, Volvo Car USA. “Highway Robbery is yet another way we are able to showcase our thinking not just about our cars, but how they can affect the world around them. We’re posing big questions as we seek out new, fresh ways about how and where we can enable the future of driving.”
Reprinted with permission.
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