Volvo has added the pure electric C40 Recharge car to its line-up, and says that – as with its other all-electric models – it will only sell it online.
Joining the XC40 Recharge that will be available in Australia from August, the C40 Recharge SUV has an anticipated driving range of 420km, and with a low profile signals Volvo’s direction for electric vehicles in the future.
“The C40 Recharge represents the future of Volvo and shows where we are going,” said Henrik Green, Volvo’s chief technology officer in a statement.
“It is fully electric, offered online only with a convenient care package and will be available for quick delivery. Getting a new Volvo was never this attractive.”
It is also just one of a number of all-electric vehicles that the Swedish-Chinese carmaker intends to bring out in coming years.
Today, it also announced it will stop selling any cars with a combustion engine, including hybrids, from 2030, and it also wants 50% of its sales to be electric from 2025.
The C40 Recharge with its low roofline also introduces a new face for Volvo, including pixel headlights and a clean cut look.
Inside, Volvo assures that despite the sleek exterior there is still room for high-positioned seats, and apparently befitting its eco-friendly status will be completely leather-free, and will feature a larg sunroof.
Having developed its infotainment system in collaboration with Google, expect Google apps and services including Maps, Assistant and Google Play Store.
Connectivity also includes unlimited data (although Volvo notes that features mentioned in this release may not ultimately come as standard), so that the vehicle can benefit from over-the-air software updates.
The 420km anticipated driving range will come thanks to a 78kWh battery that Volvo says can be charged to 80% in 40 minutes – and that with future updates it expects the range to increase.
The new C40 Recharge will be built alongside the XC40 Recharge at the Volvo Cars manufacturing plant in Ghent, Belgium, with production to commence in the northern hemisphere Autumn.
Specifications may differ for markets outside Europe.
Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She specialises in writing about new technology and has been writing about electric vehicles for two years. She has a keen interest in the role that zero emissions transport has to play in sustainability and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum.
