Skip advert
Advertisement

Volvo offers free electricity for new plug-in hybrid customers

Volvo is offering a year’s supply of free electricity with any of its new plug-in hybrid models from now until 30 June 2020

Volvo XC40 - front charging

Volvo will offer a year’s supply of free electricity with any of its new plug-in hybrid vehicles purchased between now and 30 June 2020. The firm hopes this programme will reduce the tailpipe emissions of its PHEV range in the real world, by encouraging fleet drivers to use the electric portion of their vehicle’s drivetrain.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The offer is automatically provided to both private and business customers and each vehicle’s electricity usage will be stored on the driver’s smartphone using Volvo’s On Call app. The electricity costs for charging the car at home will be calculated from May 2020 and reimbursed to the customer the following year, based on the average UK electricity tariff.

Volvo XC60 T8 plug-in hybrid review

In recent years, businesses have adopted PHEV cars as fleet vehicles, due to various government incentives such as grants (which have since been revoked) and tax reductions. However, research conducted by the fuel management company TMC shows fleet drivers are not charging their plug-in hybrid vehicles properly – often choosing to run them on petrol power alone, as it’s easier to claim the cost of fuel back from their employers.

Volvo - charging

In 2018, TMC held data on around 1,500 plug-in hybrid vehicles. The company’s records show they had average real-world economy figures of 39.3mpg, which is more than 100mpg less than Volvo’s claimed WLTP figures for the XC40 T5 plug-in hybrid SUV.

Volvo hopes its latest incentive will encourage drivers to keep the batteries of their PHEVs charged. The brand’s UK Managing Director, Kristian Elvefors, said: “At Volvo, in keeping with our Swedish roots, we’ve always taken a keen interest in looking after the environment. Our recently stated ambition to become a carbon-neutral company by 2040 shows we are serious about addressing climate change.

“It’s crucial that we help our plug-in hybrid customers understand how they can make the most of their car’s electric potential. So, by meeting their electricity charging costs for a year, we can encourage them to develop the good habit of regularly recharging their car’s battery, as well as saving them money at the same time.”

Now read our run-down of the best plug-in hybrid vehicles on sale now. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Skip advert
Advertisement

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

New Volvo EM90 2025 review: the ultimate SUV killer
Volvo EM90 - front

New Volvo EM90 2025 review: the ultimate SUV killer

Volvo has made an ultra-luxurious van. Intrigued? You should be, but sadly it’s for China only
Road tests
16 Jun 2025
Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2025, 2026 and beyond
New cars coming soon header image

Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2025, 2026 and beyond

These are the most important new cars headed our way, from brands including Audi, BMW, Dacia, Ferrari, Ford, Skoda and more
Best cars & vans
13 Jun 2025
Buckle up! Volvo's new 'super seatbelt' could transform car safety
Volvo EX90 - front cornering

Buckle up! Volvo's new 'super seatbelt' could transform car safety

New multi-adaptive seatbelt pretensions according to real-time crash data, as well as occupants’ dimensions
News
5 Jun 2025
Tesla struggles in new driver-assistance tests with Autopilot name deemed misleading
Tesla Model 3 - front cornering

Tesla struggles in new driver-assistance tests with Autopilot name deemed misleading

Tesla struggles in new Euro NCAP driver-assistance tests with Autopilot name deemed “inappropriate” by safety body
News
4 Jun 2025

Most Popular

New Volvo EM90 2025 review: the ultimate SUV killer
Volvo EM90 - front

New Volvo EM90 2025 review: the ultimate SUV killer

Volvo has made an ultra-luxurious van. Intrigued? You should be, but sadly it’s for China only
Road tests
16 Jun 2025
Smart Roadster could return as an electric Mazda MX-5 rival
Smart Roadster exclusive image

Smart Roadster could return as an electric Mazda MX-5 rival

The Smart Roadster could be set for a comeback and our exclusive image previews how it could look
News
16 Jun 2025
New Audi Q3 reinvents the indicator stalk, but there’s a whole lot more too
Audi Q3 - front

New Audi Q3 reinvents the indicator stalk, but there’s a whole lot more too

Audi’s not taking any risks with its all-new Q3; watch it sell like crazy
News
16 Jun 2025