Volvo V60 T8 – 2019 – 102,543 km – Battery degradation test

On paper it sounds nice

The plug-in hybrid is experiencing a somewhat erratic career. At first it was the car for the business market. When the tax benefit evaporated, sales finally collapsed. And now the PHEV is picking itself up from the trough again. Also on the used car market.

On paper, the principle makes perfect sense: fully electric driving in built-up areas or during short journeys. For longer journeys you can always fall back on a conventional combustion engine. But that versatility disappears when the already modest battery reaches the end of its rope. If your commute or shopping becomes difficult with the PHEV, then that’s it. Get rid of it. What about this Volvo V60 T8? The car is from 2019 and has a ton on the clock.

Experience

Terence thought carefully about his logistics before purchasing this Volvo. A plug-in hybrid suits him perfectly, he concluded. It is not very surprising that his choice fell on a V60. Before this black station wagon he drove a V60 D4 and before that a V50. All Swedes. “Wonderful cars to travel in, and they fit fantastically,” says Terence.

The Woods family has its own parking space with charging station. “In addition, eight public charging stations have been added quite recently. That’s nice, because my wife has a Renault Zoe and she also has to use the charging station once a week.” Aalsmeer seems quite EV-friendly.

Electric as much as possible

Terence is spared the stress of charging a full EV, he always comes home. But he takes plugging very seriously. “I drive electric as much as possible. I want to get the most out of it in terms of consumption and emission-free driving. When we go on holiday, I let that go, but the rest of the time I charge where I can charge.” Also when he visits his parents-in-law in Deventer. The kilometers that it can travel electrically, it actually travels electrically.

Terence keeps as much data as possible about his car, including the range. “My best score was 41.9 kilometers all-electric. I can manage forty kilometers in the summer if I try a little. Doing your best doesn’t mean pulling like crazy. But driving fast on the highway at 120 kilometers per hour also consumes power. I don’t achieve these kinds of distances in the winter. Then it ends with a range of 25 kilometers.”

The Aalsmeerder bought the car in June 2022 with 67,000 kilometers on the odometer. A year and a half later, the clock shows almost a ton. Is the range stable or does it decrease somewhat? “Just tell me,” it sounds cheerfully.

What is the condition of the battery of the Volvo V60 T8?

For the time being, the Volvo does exactly what it was purchased for and does so without a squeak, creak or defect. “But dark clouds are looming,” Marcel van Renselaar announces some disaster. Marcel is business development manager at Aviloo and has the results of the over the air measurement. “The measurement indicates that the battery has seen its best days. This is partly due to normal wear and tear, and partly to the use that promotes that wear. The owner actually drives the battery from full to empty every day. He drives electrically as much as possible and then you see that the battery with its limited capacity is already having a hard time, after a hundred thousand on the counter and four years.” The test indicates that there is still 80 percent capacity left.

Terence cannot possibly be satisfied with this. He had understandably expected to enjoy his current logistics strategy for a little longer. “I’m going to ask the Volvo dealer for some insight, because I can’t imagine that this is the intention.” To be continued, no doubt.