The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge is the companys first-ever all-electric vehicle and heralds the roll out of a new EV from Volvo each coming year for the next five years.Andrew McCredie LOS ANGELES, Ca. Two years ago, Volvo promised to make every vehicle it sells electrified by 2020. It has now made good on its promise with the unveiling of its first-ever all-electric vehicle, which is also the first Volvo that will receive software and technical updates over the air (a la Tesla).The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge is an electrified version of the compact luxury crossover the Swedish automaker brought to Canada last year, the perfect platform for Volvos initial foray in the EV space. The exterior of the electrified version differs from its gas-powered stablemate in the front end (no need for a radiator grille) and the rear end (no need for tailpipes) but apart from that borrows many body panels from the ICE version. Likewise, the vast majority of the XC40 Recharges top hat cabin interior, doors, rear cargo space and hatch is from the original. Each model is built in the same Belgium factory in Gent.Where they differ, of course, is in the powertrain and parts of the chassis, though they still share many suspension bits and pieces.The XC40 Recharge has two electric motors, one powering each axle, fed by a good-sized 78-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. According to Volvo, the electric XC40 outperforms its petrol partner by some measure, reporting power output of 408 horsepower, 660 lb.-ft. of torque and a sub-five-second zero-to-100 km/h time.North American full-charge range is expected to be in the 320-kilometre range, though Volvo Canada says that is a conservative estimate (no doubt trying to avoid the disappointment surrounding the Audi e-Tron’s reported range that fell short of published figures). And according to Volvo, the battery charges to 80 per cent of capacity in 40 minutes on a fast-charger system.Not much information was provided about the regenerative braking system, but we do know it will come with three modes: a one-pedal driving mode, a mild regen mode and a freewheeling mode. The XC40 Recharge is also notable as it features an all-new infotainment system developed by Volvo and Google, the first such partnership for a global automaker. According to Volvo, the Google Android operating system is more intuitive than past interactive systems, and uses a suite of Google apps to improve interactions, including Google Assistant, Google Play and Google Maps. The latter includes real-time traffic updates and constant monitoring of the vehicles battery range to suggest nearby charging stations and to map the most efficient routes possible. Voice recognition functions can control most in-car functions, from climate to music to text messaging.During the reveal to the worlds motoring press at Hubble Studios in L.A., Volvo execs went to great lengths to underscore the companys commitment to sustainability, not just in terms of what comes out of Volvo tailpipes but in terms of the entire manufacturing process and the manufacturing processes of its supply partners, including battery suppliers. Over the next five years, the company has committed to launch a fully electric car every year in an effort to make all-electric cars 50 per cent of global sales by 2025, with the rest hybrids. The name Recharge is the new brand name for all chargeable Volvos with a fully electric and plug-in hybrid powertrain.As to the bigger picture of building cars in a cleaner manner, the company is aiming to reduce its lifecycle carbon footprint per car by 40 per cent between 2018 and 2025. This is seen as the first, tangible step towards Volvo Cars ambition of becoming a climate neutral company by 2040.The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge is expected in Canadian showrooms by this time next year, and pricing will be released early in 2020. Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google
Origin: First Look: 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge
XC40
Volvo XC40 Recharge EV revealed
Volvo XC40 Recharge EV revealed The new electric Volvo has a range of almost 250 miles Volvo has launched its first fully-electric model – the XC40 Recharge. Kicking off a new Recharge sub-brand, Volvo’s pure-electric compact SUV has a range of 249 miles on a single charge. Powered by two electric motors – one on each axle – the XC40 Recharge produces 408hp (304 kW), providing a 0-62mph time of just 4.9 seconds. A 78 kWh battery ensures a good range available, and Volvo has backed that up by offering an 11 kW on-board charger for AC charging, and the ability to charge at 150 kW DC for ultra-rapid CCS units. As such, a charge to 80% can be completed in 40 minutes. Visually similar to the conventionally and plug-in hybrid powered XC40 models, the key difference is the smoothed off grille. A charging port takes the place of the fuel filler flap, and there are some Recharge badges about the place, but that’s about it. Because of the battery packaging, boot space is less than the petrol and diesel versions, but there is storage space under the bonnet to compensate. The XC40 Recharge will be the first to feature a new infotainment system built on the Google Android operating system. It is expected that it will improve the ability to update the car’s systems compared to current set-ups. Prices are yet to be confirmed, though launch models are expected to cost a little under £50,000, and subsequent versions from around the £35,000 mark. Specifications and pricing for the UK market will be announced at a later date, with production due to start next year.
Origin: Volvo XC40 Recharge EV revealed
Volvo reveals XC40 Recharge as first full electric model
The four-wheel-drive XC40 Recharge features two 201bhp electric motors, one mounted on each axle, that combine to offer 402bhp and 487lb ft of torque. That enables it to achieve 0-62mph in 4.9 secs, with a limited top speed of 112mph. Power is drawn from a 78kWh underfloor battery, with Volvo citing a WLTP-certified range of more than 248 miles. Charging is available through an 11kW AC charger or a 150kW DC fast-charger, which the firm says can deliver an 80% charge in 40 minutes. The vehicle largely retains the exterior and interior styling of the conventional XC40, albeit with the addition of a new sealed fascia in place of the traditional radiator grille for the combustion engine. The model also gets Recharge branding and other minor design tweaks, while the charging port is located on the rear pillar of the car in the same place as a traditional petrol cap. Built on the same Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform as the regular XC40, the Recharge version retains largely the same dimensions with a length of 4425mm and a width of 2034mm. Because of the underfloor batteries, the XC40 Recharge has a slightly reduced ground clearance of 175mm, compared to 211mm on the regular model. The XC40 Recharge offers 413 litres of luggage capacity, a reduction of 460 litres for the regular model although, due to the space saved by the lack of a combustion engine, it gains a 31-litre ‘frunk’ storage area underneath the bonnet. The machine weighs a minimum of 2150kg, compared to 1497kg for the combustion-engined version. The XC40 Recharge is also the first Volvo to feature a new infotainment system powered by the Google Android operating system. That system features Volvo On Call, the firm’s digital platform. The likely initial price of the XC40 Recharge is similar to that of the closely related Polestar 2, the first electric model from Volvo’s spin-off performance brand. That model, which features the same electric powertrain – and identical power, torque output and range – costs £49,900 in its initial Launch Edition. Planned base models are likely to cost around £34,500. To accompany the launch of the XC40 Recharge, Volvo is also revamping its sales process. From early next year, customers visiting its website will be asked first if they want an electrified car, and a range of financial incentives designed to encourage efficient electric driving will also be offered. With Volvo aiming for plug-in hybrids to account for a fifth of its total sales next year, the firm is planning to triple production capacity for its electrified models, including the XC40 Recharge. It will also offer a new Designer’s Choice selection for Recharge models, which it says will feature “radically reduced delivery
Origin: Volvo reveals XC40 Recharge as first full electric model
Electric Volvo XC40 gets bespoke Android infotainment
Volvo has detailed the infotainment system in its upcoming electric XC40 ahead of the car’s unveiling next week. The firm claims the system, designed in partnership with Google and powered by Android, offers “unprecedented personalisation” and “improved levels of intuitiveness”, courtesy of inbuilt Google features. The internet giant’s Maps, Assistant and Play Store functions are included. The electric small SUV is also the first Volvo model to be capable of wireless software updates. The system is compatible with voice control, while Google’s mapping software will offer live traffic updates and alternative route and charging station suggestions. The software will also improve the capabilities of the car’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) by providing live speed limit and hazard warnings. Volvo’s chief technology officer, Henrik Green, said: “We’re finally giving you the same experience in your car that you’re used to on your phone, but adapted for safe interaction while driving. “And by introducing over-the-air updates for everything from maintenance to completely new features, the car can stay as fresh as your other digital products, always with the latest and greatest features.” Volvo recently released the first teaser sketches of the electric XC40, which is the first step in a plan for more than 50% of the firm’s sales volume to be fully electric by 2025. It’s focused on producing electric versions of its existing models, rather than developing bespoke EVs like rivals such as Volkswagen. Despite that, Volvo has said the electric XC40 will feature a number of design changes to differentiate itself from combustion-engined versions, partly due to the electric powertrain not requiring a large grille to cool the engine. A sketch of the front of the car shows that, as with other EVs, the grille will be replaced by a covered front fascia, which Volvo says will be used to package the sensors for the ADAS. A rear sketch shows that, as with the plug-in hybrid XC40, the charging point will be located on the rear pillar where the fuel filler would normally be. Robin Page, Volvo’s design boss, said the electric XC40’s design would be “even sleeker and more modern” than that of the regular model. He added: “Without the need for a grille, we have created an even cleaner and more modern face, while the absence of tailpipes does the same at the rear. “This is the approach we will explore more and more as we continue down the road of electrification.” Volvo has also revealed the EV will feature a “brand new driver interface” that has been developed for its electric cars. It will also be offered with two new 19in and 20in wheel options and in eight paint colours. The interior will feature new “sporty styling details” and carpets made from recycled materials. The electric XC40 will also feature a small, 30-litre front storage space – also known as a ‘frunk’ – under the bonnet in the space freed up by the absence of a combustion engine. The XC40 is one of Volvo’s most popular models, and the electric version will be revealed on 16 October. While few technical details of the model have been given, it will follow the EV trend, with motors mounted at the front and rear and the battery located under the floor. Volvo has said it aims to maintain its established reputation for safety with the new model, with safety boss Malin Ekholm saying: “Regardless of what drives a car forward, be it an electric motor or combustion engine, a Volvo must be safe.” The front structure of the XC40, which is built on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, has been redesigned to account for the absence of an engine. Volvo has also developed a “unique” new safety structure: a safety cage around the battery made from aluminium and embedded in the body structure. Volvo says this creates a built-in crumple zone around the battery and lowers the car’s centre of gravity. The car has also been reinforced at the rear through the integration of the electric powertrain into the body structure, with the intent to shift any forces caused in a collision away from the passenger area. The electric XC40 will also be the first model fitted with Volvo’s new Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) sensor platform, which is designed for expanded autonomous capabilities in the future. While no details have been given about the electric powertrain, it’s likely to be similar to that used by sister brand Polestar’s 2, which was revealed earlier this year and is also built on the CMA platform. That car uses a 27-module, 78kWh battery pack. The powertrain in the performance-focused Polestar 2 is claimed to produce 402bhp and 487lb ft, with a ‘target’ range of 311 miles on the WLTP cycle. The electric XC40 is unlikely to offer as much power or torque, due to the differing goals and target markets of Volvo and Polestar. The electric XC40 will be the second electrified version of the model, joining the XC40 T5 Twin Engine plug-in
Origin: Electric Volvo XC40 gets bespoke Android infotainment
Volvo UK boss: focus is electric XC40 and online sales
Volvo’s new UK boss has outlined a three-point plan focused on electric cars, boosting online sales and improving dealer profitability – while Brexit is lower down his priority list. In his first interview since taking over in June, Kristian Elvefors said his first big challenge is to launch Volvo’s first all-electric model, a variant of the XC40, successfully in the UK from next year while exploiting the plug-in hybrid cars that Volvo now have on every bodystyle. “We are very well placed with electrification and the XC40 will move us into a new, growing segment,” he said. The XC40 is currently Volvo’s UK best-seller, taking over from the out-of-production V40, and the new plug-in hybrid and battery-electric models are likely to further strengthen the compact SUV’s position in Volvo’s UK line-up. In the medium term, Volvo UK will work towards the corporate goal of 50% new car sales of electrified cars – hybrids and BEVs – by 2025, which will inevitably mean a bigger share of those models in the UK. In his first four months in the job, Elvefors has seen how UK consumers are comfortable with online purchasing and sees an opportunity to broaden Volvo sales on the web. “We don’t do Ocado and Amazon in Sweden like you do here,” he said. “That must be an opportunity for us.” However, there is still no firm date to introduce Volvo’s subscription service Care By Volvo to the UK. Care By Volvo bundles all the costs of running a car, including insurance, into a single monthly payment, like a mobile phone contract. “In Europe, we’re trialling it in Germany and the Netherlands,” he said. “If you can make it work in Germany, you can make it work anywhere. But we have to see how it goes before it comes to the UK.” Although Elvefors says Volvo is “prepared for Brexit”, he feels that there is enough uncertainty to remain tight-lipped about Volvo’s end-of-year UK sales. The short-term aim is 60,000 units by 2020 and Volvo already reached 30,000 new car sales in the first half of the year, but a couple of tough months post-Brexit at the end of October, if it happens, could knock the numbers back. “All I can say is that we are happy with our sales volume numbers,” said Elvefors. Elvefors has switched jobs with Volvo UK’s former boss Jon Wakefield and must now keep UK sales percolating while Wakefield has a chance to move Sweden back ahead of the UK. Much of Elvefors’ perspective on the UK market is framed by his successful stint overseeing Volvo’s Swedish sales – where he increased market share to 20.6% and recovered the company’s market position. Increasing fleet sales might be a card Elvefors could play. He’s not planning a blitz on daily rentals, but sees the fleet mix in the UK, about 22%, well behind Sweden, where it’s around 72%. Another approach will be to encourage UK dealers to bring services that they currently outsource in-house. “I want us to capture more of the profits from this sort of business,” Elvefors
Origin: Volvo UK boss: focus is electric XC40 and online sales
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