Chauffeur company Tristar Worldwide has taken delivery of three Volvo V60 plug-in hybrids to trial as part of the Energy Saving Trust’s Plugged-In Fleet Initiative (PIFI).

The vehicles will be with Tristar for six to eight months covering over 20,000 miles each.

Initially placed with key decision makers at Tristar, the vehicles will then be rolled out to chauffeurs to fully assess the operational benefits of a Plug-in Hybrid.

The V60 Plug-in Hybrid works by the front wheels being powered by a five-cylinder 2.4-litre turbo diesel producing 215 hp and maximum torque is 440 Nm, while the rear axle is powered by an electric motor producing 70 horsepower, all while only producing 48g/km of CO2 on the combined cycle.

Funded by the Department for Transport and Transport for London, PIFI aims to demonstrate where plug-in vehicles can work practically to fulfil and maximise business needs, show where the vehicles work economically and provide vital insights into the fleet plug in vehicle market.

Chosen as part of twenty participating fleets in the initiative including Network Rail and the Environment Agency, Tristar’s trial is aimed at helping explore if the currently used Volvo diesels could be replaced with Plug-in Hybrids.

Throughout the course of the trial Tristar will monitor running costs, mileage data and overall driver and customer feedback before compiling a final PIFI report at the trial’s conclusion.

Despite only recently taking delivery of the vehicles, driver feedback has already been positive with drivers praising the ride quality and overall performance of the vehicle.

Dean De Beer, Tristar Worldwide Chauffeur Services CEO, said: “It’s important that we can offer our discerning clients a wide range of vehicle options including an ultra-low emission solution and the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is a potential option for this.

“We are constantly updating our Volvo fleet and the safety features in the latest cars are definitely helping us to reduce our operational costs. We hope that we can achieve similar gains with this vehicle.” 

Selwyn Cooper, Volvo Car UK national corporate operations manager, said: “The V60 Plug-in Hybrid is the perfect vehicle for chauffeurs as it pairs luxury with a smooth and quiet driving experience.

“During the trial Tristar can look forward to reducing their overall running costs as well as placing their clients in the back of one of the safest cars on the road today.”

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