Volvo launches world's first plug-in diesel hybrid car

Are you a car enthusiast who has a really hard time convincing yourself to drive green? Well, Volvo may have the answer for you. The car manufacturer is launching a plug-in diesel hybrid at the Geneva Auto Show that gives you the carbon footprint of a hybrid car, while taking you from 0-60 miles in about 6.9 seconds.

With the push of a button, the Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid can be driven in three different modes: pure, power and hybrid. The diesel engine powers the front two wheels and the 70-horsepower electric motor drives the rear wheels. The "pure" mode allows the driver to go about 30 miles in all-electric mode, before the diesel engine kicks in. Want more range? The hybrid switch will give you about 745 miles on one tank of fuel. And just in case you want to impress the rider in the next lane, well move to "power" mode and you can do zero-to-62 in 6.9 seconds with the combined 285 horsepower produced from the diesel and electric motors.

And if you're unsure what mode is best for you, on-board navigation technology will select the optimal combination for you. Urban driving or mountain climbing -- all seem appropriate for this chunk of metal.

Clearly, there's something in this for everyone!

The car is set to go into production in 2012, but the U.S. isn't the first market of choice. Hopefully, though we'll see this car hit our shores soon.

Via Wired

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com