Swedish automotive giant Volvo Cars has unveiled its “manifesto for the next generation of all-electric Volvos”, and it comes in the form of the Volvo Concept Recharge, an SUV concept vehicle which previews the next generation of the company’s move towards 100% EVs by 2030.
As with many of these types of announcements, Volvo’s unveiling of its Concept Recharge is full of hyperbole and verbose descriptive language, rather than any firm and fast real-world deliverables.
Built around the mantra of “less but better”, the Volvo Concept Recharge is obviously an all-electric vehicle – having removed “the complexity of the internal combustion engine”, according to Volvo. In turn, this has meant that Volvo’s designers have been able to increase the interior space while also improving the vehicle’s aerodynamic efficiency.
Unlike the first generation of Volvo’s electric vars – which required that they share a floor with combustion engine-powered cars, thus impacting the balance in proportions and space necessitated by having to include both a battery pack and internal combustion engine – the next generation of Volvo’s all-electric vehicles will feature flat floors, as is demonstrated in the Concept Recharge.
The Concept Recharge presages Volvo’s first fully electric car, which will be an SUV based on the new electric-only technology base. By removing the engine and replacing it with a battery pack underneath the flat floor of the Concept Recharge, Volvo’s designers have extended the wheelbase and the wheel size of the car, resulting in shorter overhangs as well as a lot more interior space and storage area between the front seats.
The seats in the Concept Recharge have been repositioned, and the designers have also optimised the roof profile and lowered the hood of the car while retaining the high eye point common Volvo vehicles like the XC40, XC60, and XC90.
“Inside the Concept Recharge, we create a truly Scandinavian living room feeling,” said Robin Page, head of design at Volvo Cars. “The interior integrates our latest user experience technology with beautiful, sustainable and natural materials. Each part of the interior is like a piece of art and could stand alone as individual furniture in a room. We use the latest technologies but not for their own sake. We always focus on the benefits that technologies can bring.”
Volvo Concept Recharge also introduces the company’s new design language, which has eliminated “all unnecessary elements” leaving “a high-precision, flush execution.” The traditional Volvo grille has been replaced with a shield-like structure and combined with a new interpretation of Volvo Cars’ Thor’s Hammer headlight design – which include the latest HD technology-enabled pure graphic which open at night to reveal the main lamp units.
Similarly, at the rear, signature new vertical rear lamps connect the Concept Recharge to Volvo’s strong design heritage but are nevertheless re-imagined with a set of wings that extend at higher cruising speeds to, believe it or not, further improve overall aerodynamics.
“Our Concept Recharge represents a manifesto for the all-electric future of Volvo Cars, as well as a new type of vehicle,” said Robin Page.
“With the Concept Recharge we continue the rich roots of Volvo’s design DNA in a modern and fresh way as we move into our all-electric future. It represents everything we believe customers expect from a pure electric Volvo and we’re excited to take this philosophy into our next generation of cars.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.