Fuel Efficiency
You can't get much more fuel efficient than the 3CC: The car is electric. Its 80-kilowatt AC electric motor is powered by 3,000 lithium-ion batteries similar to those used in laptop computers and cell phones. The Volvo's lithium-ion batteries, however, are cylindrical, making them more similar in shape to traditional batteries than to computer and phone batteries. The cylindrical design allows air to circulate around the batteries to cool them. Keeping the batteries cool is important, especially since they are housed within the car's double-layer floor to keep them out of the way.
 Photo courtesy Volvo Cars of North America, LLC The Volvo 3CC's electric motor runs off of lithium-ion batteries housed within the car's floor. |
To complement the car's electric power train, the Volvo 3CC has a regenerative braking system. This type of braking system capitalizes on the fact that electric motors generate electricity when reversed. The regenerative braking system in an electric car uses this characteristic to recover some of the heat energy produced when the car's brakes are applied. While going forward, the car's electric motor pulls energy from the batteries to propel the car. When the motor is reversed during braking, it acts as a generator to return energy to the car's batteries. In the Volvo 3CC, this process allows the car to recapture 20 percent of the power produced by the batteries.
The car's electric power train allows it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 10 seconds, and it has a maximum cruising speed of 85 mph. Through it all, the electric motor is practically silent. Aided by the power recaptured by the regenerative braking system, the car can go 180 miles (290) on a single charge in ideal conditions. All of this means that the Volvo 3CC can perform much like a traditional car but with zero emissions.
