Like many an automaker, Volvo intends to go all-electric by 2030. In the meantime, the brand is using plug-in hybrids to fill the gap, and the brand’s 2.0-liter PHEV setup — now known as the T8 Recharge powertrain — has been one of the best EV alternatives out there if you’re not quite ready to be beholden to charging infrastructure. For 2022, however, that engine is getting way better.
VolvoVolvo just announced a dramatic upgrade to the T8 powerplant. It’s more powerful: the electric motor now puts out 143 horsepower at the rear wheels instead of 87 hp, bumping the combined output of the system to 455 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque. Volvo also increased the battery pack size from 11.6 kWh to 18.8 kWh, allowing 35 to 41 miles of electric-only range, depending on the vehicle — about double what was offered previously.
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Other improvements include better all-wheel drive performance, thanks to that added power at the rear wheels, and a one-pedal driving feature that will debut on the XC60 Recharge crossover and S90 Recharge sedan.
The engine upgrade will happen for all 60 and 90 series vehicles that use the T8 engine: the S60 Recharge, V60 Polestar, XC60 Recharge, S90 Recharge and XC90 Recharge. And all of those cars are now eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit — although we would take this moment to offer a reminder that that credit is non-refundable, so talk to your accountant first before rushing off to buy one.
The T8 Recharge cars aren’t quite as sporty as 455 hp and 523 lb-ft makes it sound; they are still Volvos, after all. But they are now going to be even quicker — and with roughly twice the electric range, you’ll no longer need to strategize obsessively to get the most out of the battery power. And one of them, the V60 Polestar, is a road-going wagon. Sounds pretty great.