Volvo has announced that the C30 electric will get some upgrades for its second generation. The Volvo C30 Electric has been in production since June 2011, but its in limited production. About 250 of the electric vehicles were delivered to customers throughout Europe. It is a prototype vehicle that is available for lease only, and an expensive lease at that.

Volvo says a second generation is coming, and it will again be a demo fleet vehicle for around 100 customer in Europe. Launching this summer, the second generation C30 Electric vehicle will have an upgraded electric motor and a 22-kW on-board charger.

A standard charge using 220 volts still takes 8 to 10 hours. Using the proper three-phase outlet, the second generation Volvo C30 Electric can be fully charged from empty in 1.5 hours.  The C30 features a 24-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. According to Volvo, 22.7 kWh can be used to power the vehicle.