Volvo Unveils Lithium Electric Car

Volvo has come up with an exotic electric car concept called the 3CC, which offers dimensions similar to a two-seat sports car but goes one better with a unique two-plus-one seating configuration. This Volvo allows two adults up front and an additional adult or two kids in the seat behind. A floating dash panel slides forward as the car's gull-wing doors swing upward to make entering/exiting easier. A sliding seat system also eases the process for rear seat passengers.

The lightweight 3CC is designed with a steel space frame and an outer body shell of bonded carbon fiber. Beneath the hood is an electric powertrain that provides 0-60 mph acceleration of about 10 seconds and a governed top speed of 85 mph. The car's front electric drive is powered by 3,000 lithium-ion batteries packaged within the 3CC's thin sandwich floor. These batteries - the same type as those used in today's laptop computers - provide a driving range of about 180 miles.