GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN -- Volvo Car Corp. and Siemens announced they are jointly developing electric drive technology, power electronics and charging technology that will be integrated into Volvo C30 Electric vehicles.

The first electric cars of this model fitted with Siemens electric motors will be on test tracks as early as the end of this year, Volvo said. Beginning in late 2012, the Swedish carmaker will deliver a test series of up to 200 vehicles to Siemens. These vehicles will then be tested under real-life conditions as part of a Siemens internal test fleet.

Volvo said it will rely on Siemens technology for the electrification of future vehicles.

"We are very happy to have Siemens as a partner. Their world-leading knowledge and experience will bring the technology in our electric cars up to an entirely new level," said Stefan Jacoby, president and CEO of Volvo Car Corp. “We are moving ahead quickly in this area. Our aim is to be first with the latest technology within electrification.”

Development efforts will focus on such areas as electric powertrain, battery management and charging technology.  

“Cooperation with Volvo is an important milestone in the development of top-quality components and systems for electric cars subsequently intended for series production," said Siegfried Russwurm, Siemens board member and CEO of the Siemens industry sector. "It is our long-term goal to establish Siemens as a global system provider both inside and outside of electric vehicles. We see ourselves as a comprehensive electric mobility pioneer."

Siemens electric motors developed for Volvo have a peak power output of 108 kilowatts with a maximum torque of 220 Newton meters. The inverter design will be jointly optimized to meet all safety requirements in an automotive application. In addition, Siemens said it will provide highly efficient and fast on-board and off-board charging systems.

Volvo starts small-scale production of the Volvo C30 Electric this year, and next year the company will start selling the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid.

"This means that we are moving from prototypes and small volumes towards series production, starting with the plug-in hybrid,” Jacoby explained. “Our upcoming new Scalable Platform Architecture paves the way for electrification throughout our model range."