Volvo did show an electric version of the C30 hatchback at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, but that debut was apparently not an indication of future availability. A version of the show car will make production, but Volvo has announced it will not be available in the United States market.

At an event last month, Volvo’s Special Vehicles unit president Lennart Stegland, revealed that the production version of the C30 battery electric vehicle will only be available in Europe.

For the next two years, Volvo plans to build about 50 examples of the C30 BEV which will all be tested in Sweden. Volvo will use the initial testing to see how the car’s electric drivetrain stands up to Sweden’s cold climate. After the two-year test period, Volvo plans to step up production to about 1,000 vehicles per year, with sales still limited to Europe.

Although the US won’t have access the C30 BEV, a plug-in hybrid model from the Swedish automaker could hit the US shores as early as 2012. Volvo has decided to skip over conventional hybrids and jump straight to plug-in hybrid vehicles as they provide a greater reduction in overall CO2 emission without a significant amount of extra technology development.