VOLVO has increased the zero emission range of its 90 and 60 series plug-in hybrid models giving them an electric-only range well above that of the average daily commute.

The Swedish car maker says the cars will now be able to travel up to 56 miles on a full charge enabling most drivers to do their daily motoring purely on electric power.

The cars are fitted with a new long-range battery and a more powerful rear electric motor now delivering 145hp.

The additional power results in a total combined output of 350hp for Recharge T6 and 455hp for Recharge T8 models, making the latter the most powerful Volvo cars ever produced.

The upgrades include one-pedal drive on specific models.

Henrik Green, chief technology officer at Volvo Cars, said: "It's 2021, and people should no longer have to rely on petrol or diesel when commuting. Our latest plug-in hybrids deliver all the electric driving range needed in most people's everyday life."

The new and improved e-motor ups the power to the rear wheels by 65 per cent, enhancing performance and driveability.

Together with the boosted battery, the upgraded motor also enables better all-wheel-drive capability, especially when towing or when driving on slippery roads that demand extra traction and stability.

The upgrades include the addition of one-pedal drive, already seen on pure electric Volvo models, which gives the driver the option of controlling both acceleration and deceleration with only the accelerator pedal.

It will be rolled out initially on the Volvo XC60, S90 and V90 Recharge plug-in hybrids.

Volvo says it is committed to becoming a leader in the premium electric car market. By the middle of the decade it aims to sell 1.2 million cars globally, with at least half being fully electric cars.

By 2030, it plans to become a fully electric car company.

The new powertrain is being introduced on all Volvo Recharge plug-in hybrid models based on the brand's Scalable Product Architecture which includes the Volvo S60, V60, XC60, S90, V90 and XC90 Recharge models.

The revised ranges are now priced from £51,590 for the XC60 Recharge, £56,025 for the V90 estate and £56,275 for the S90 saloon for the first wave of models with the new powertrain.