The Volvo Recharge Concept – electric car with a 1.6 litre Flexifuel back-up motor

The energy that is generated during braking is transmitted to the battery pack. When the system is ultimately developed, traditional wheel brakes will be completely replaced by electrical brakes with minimal energy wasted through friction. To ensure reliable operation of the drivetrain and braking system, driver inputs are fed into a quadruple-redundant electronic control system.

Volvo FlexiFuels run on E85 bioethanol (85 percent ethanol and 15 percent petrol) but, should E85 not be available, the car can also be powered by petrol – both fuels can go into the same tank in any mixture. As a renewable fuel, bioethanol is better for the environment than traditional fuels, emitting up to 80% less fossil carbon dioxide emissions than petrol.