Vehicles will be delivered in a sealed trailer to the driver’s work or home address, with a handover process explaining the car’s powertrain. This is designed to boost awareness of the technology, and to give an experience befitting its price tag of between £45,000 and £50,000.

The V60 Plug-in Hybrid uses a 215bhp five-cylinder diesel engine to power its front wheels and 70bhp electric rear axle to offer a combined 285bhp and four wheel drive. It can also drive up to 31 miles on electric power using the mains-rechargeable lithium ion battery under the boot floor, resulting in 49g/km CO2 emissions and up to 148.7mpg, meaning a company car tax costs claimed to be equivalent to the V60 DRIVe.

Production of the first 1,000 cars in November, all built to a single Pure Limited specification based on the SE Lux trim and painted the same Electric Silver. Nordic countries are predicted to be the biggest markets, with UK sales expected to account for around 13% of the 4-6,000 annual volume once production reaches capacity in 2013.

To date, Volvo Cars UK has received 20 confirmed orders from the first allocation but said some customers were waiting for the car’s eligibility for the £5,000 Plug-In Car Grant, due to be announced shortly.

The carmaker’s partnership with German utility company Vattenfall will not extend to the UK, but Volvo is seeking a partner for home wiring checks ahead of the vehicle’s launch. Unlike the Vattenfall partnership, this will not include electricity supply.