This, ladies and dentlemen, is a bit of a milestone moment for Volvo. Not only is the new XC40 Recharge the company’s first ever fully-electric car, but it also signifies the start of a serious EV offensive.
Volvo has ambitions to become a climate-neutral company by 2040, and it has now committed to launching five electric cars in the next five years—all of which will be badged Recharge. The hope is that by 2025, 50% of the cars it sells will run on battery power alone.
So, back to the XC40. What to say about it? Well, it’s a pretty standard XC40, only with a twin-motor, all-wheel-drive electric setup. Park it alongside its internal combustion-engined sibling and perhaps the only difference you’ll notice is a slightly deeper floor on the EV. That’s where the 75kWh batteries live.
The headline figures are a promised range of more than 402km on the WLTP cycle, and a zero to 80% charge time of 40 minutes when connected to a fast charger. Plus, if that doesn’t get you all hot under the collar, the electric motors put out a fairly hefty 408hp between them. Lovely. The result of that, and the 660Nm of instantaneous torque, is a 0-100kph time of 4.9sec.
The XC40 Recharge will also signify the debut of Volvo’s new, Android-powered infotainment system, and of course there’ll be specific dials to suit the electric drivetrain. Oh, and there’s a frunk, too.
The XC40 is a fantastic car in the guise we knew before, so it surely makes sense for Volvo to play things safe here. What do you reckon to its wider electrification plans, though—is it the right move?
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
