Volvo launches its fully electric XC40 Recharge

Volvo officially debuted its XC40 Recharge, the company’s first ever fully electric car and the first model to appear in its brand new Recharge car line concept.

It is based on the multi-award-winning, and best-selling XC40 small SUV.

A number of firsts

Not only is it the Swedish brand's first electric car but also the first model to feature a brand new infotainment system powered by Google’s Android operating system. The Volvo On Call system is the company’s digital connected services platform where hybrid drivers can track how much time they spend driving on electric power.

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Over the next five years, Volvo will launch a fully-electric car every year, as it seeks to make all-electric cars 50% of global sales by 2025, with the rest being hybrids.

"We have said this several times before: for Volvo Cars, the future is electric. Today we take a major new step in that direction with the launch of our fully electric XC40 and the Recharge car line," said Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive.

It features a full electric all-wheel drive powertrain that offers a range of over 400km on a single charge and equating to a power output of 304kW.

                                                                           Image: Motorpress

To meet the anticipated growth in demand for its Recharge cars, Volvo will triple its production capacity for EVs and will as of next year, prepare a Designer’s Choice selection of popular Recharge models, offering the potential for radically reduced delivery times.

Every model in the range includes a Recharge option, from the small XC40 SUV via the 60 Series cars to the company’s flagship, the large XC90 SUV. They are also the only car maker to offer a plug-in variant on every model in its line-up.

Compiled by: Robin Classen