Volvo unveils a new Drive-E platform with 450 CV

Volvo has announced the development of a new powertrain featuring the most advanced technology, capable of producing 450 CV from a 2-litre, 4-cylinder engine.

Part of the Drive-E family, this creation — still described as conceptual — opens the door to the incorporation of numerous technologies until now used only in competition or on test benches.

The technical basis of this new powertrain is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. From that point, Volvo has designed a full supercharging system worthy of the best engines in the world, thanks to the use of electrical technology. The first element is an electrically driven turbo-compressor. Behind it, two slightly smaller turbos are placed in parallel. The turbo-compressor which, as we have mentioned, is powered by electricity, is not used to force more gas into the cylinders, but to feed the other two turbos.

As a result, the two turbos maintain their speed at all times, eliminating the famous “turbo lag”. These two turbos are responsible for forcing the accelerated gases back into the cylinders, providing extraordinary thrust in any circumstance. In addition, an intelligent fuel pump capable of working at 250 bar of pressure ensures that the engine is always well “fed”. In short: a 2-litre, four-cylinder, triturbo engine with an immediate response at any moment, and an output that can reach 450 CV. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

This technological deployment will be applied in the short to medium term, also offering more power alternatives. Of course, Volvo assures that the reliability of these engines will not be compromised, which will help prospective new customers make up their minds. We are therefore talking about a particularly innovative type of technology which, until very recently, we could only imagine on a test bench, and which is only a few months away from becoming reality.

Source | Volvo