The Volvo EX30 is certainly among the most popular electric cars of recent months. The compact B-segment SUV has an extremely attractive price/performance ratio in its category, in addition to having other important qualities such as general comfort and an overall successful design.
But how did the Swedish company come to design the EX30? One could say that it all started almost half a century ago with theElectric car.
The “service” electric
The “grandmother” of all Volvo electric is this strange concept that you see in the photos. Long 2,46 mthe Elbil (which means “electric car” in Swedish) was born as an experiment of the brand partially financed by The Swedish Telecom Agencythe Scandinavian telecommunications company.
Volvo
Volvo Electric Car Concept (1976)
Twelve six-volt batteries power the vehicle, providing arange of 50 km or two hours of driving. In fact, the two prototypes (one two-seater and the other four-seater) presented in 1976 are used by Televerket itself to travel short distances, to deliver mail and to help the staff in Gothenburg without producing emissions.
Safety is not an optional extra
Since they are not cars intended for the public, but “simple” service vehicles, the two Volvos do not have particularly attractive shapes, although functional for their purpose. The Elbil is built mostly with components made specifically for the purpose, even if some elements are taken from Volvos of the time, such as the door handles that derive from the models 240.
Volvo
Volvo Electric Car Concept (1976)
The Volvo also features four seat belts and headrests for the front passengers, features that were far from standard in compact cars of the time.
Capable of reaching a top speed of 69 km/h, the Elbil weighs a whopping 2,200 kg. To admire it in person, you can visit the Volvo Museum in Arendal.
The electric Volvo of today
Source: it.motor1.com
