Volvo S60 T8
Lockdown gives PHEV a chance to strut its electric stuff
WHEN the coronavirus pandemic hit, most UK motorists were suddenly driving a lot less than they used to. Yet being restricted to essential travel suits the Volvo S60 T8 plug-in hybrid very nicely, because thanks to a realistic 20-mile electric range, I haven’t bought any petrol since mid-March.
I’m not the sort to keep track, but I may well be in the midst of the longest stint without a visit to a fuel station in my adult life. The whiff of octane in my nostrils and dusting off flakes from overpriced pastry products in my lap are distant memories, because I’ve become a stranger to my local forecourt; at the time of writing, there’s little danger of a return visit any time soon.
The S60 still has around 50 litres of fuel sloshing around in its tank and an indicated
range of 260 miles. It’s covered 145 miles since the last fill-up, averaging more than 100mpg. That’s without once setting the car in Pure mode, where the powertrain leans most heavily on its battery.
The way the mechanicals work, with the electric motor powering the rear wheels and the petrol engine the fronts, it’s impossible to ‘lock’ the S60 into electric-only mode, but with a full battery and very gentle throttle use, even the default Hybrid setting rarely calls upon the petrol engine for help. It’s taken a national lockdown for it to achieve as much, but the S60 is getting close to its official 123mpg WLTP fuel economy claim.
The Volvo has been a stranger to the UK’s retail fuel network, but not to the national grid. In fact, the charging flap in the front wing has been opened so regularly that it’s starting to feel a bit tired. The push-to-release mechanism often doesn’t open or close when you want it to, forcing a bout of prodding, but there seems to be a technique to crack the problem: when you press further in from the flap’s edge it improves the success rate.
There’s also been far more regular contact between the Volvo and my long-serving car
washing sponge. With entertainment options in short supply during the lockdown, cleaning the car has taken on a new appeal, and even the kids have got involved. There’s nobody happier, or more likely to give you a good soaking, than a four-year-old in charge of a hose, and the S60 benefits from a good clean as much as I do.
There’s also been plenty of time to gaze at the Volvo out of the window and, although the ‘Bursting Blue’ paint is a good grimehider, removing the layer of dust lets this great piece of car design really shine.
The S60 T8 is proving itself to be a model well suited to the particular demands of a global pandemic. The sky-rocketing fuel economy brought about by short-trip motoring, and the fact that the Swedish saloon is almost as rewarding to drive as it is to look at aren’t doing it any harm at all.
It’s a beautifully relaxing car to waft along empty lockdown roads on the wave of torque from the electric motor, and when you fancy taking a slightly more scenic route to the supermarket, it can certainly entertain – even if it’s at the expense of those hard-won mpg figures.
“I may well be in the midst of my longest stint without a visit to a fuel station”