2021 VOLVO XC40 RECHARGE
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 all-electric vehicle, which is also the first Volvo that will receive software and technical updates over the air (like 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 Volvo’s 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 gas version. Likewise, the vast majority of the XC40 Recharge’s “top hat” — cabin interior, doors, rear cargo space and hatch — is from the original.
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 and 660 pound-feet of torque, and a sub-five-second zero-to-100 km/h time. North American full-charge range is expected to be about 320 kilometres, though Volvo Canada says that is a conservative estimate. 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 regeneration 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 vehicle’s battery range to suggest nearby charging stations and map the most efficient routes. Voice-recognition capability can control most in-car functions.
During the reveal to the world’s motoring press at Hubble Studios in L.A., Volvo execs went to great lengths to underscore the company’s commitment to sustainability, not just in terms of what comes out of Volvo tailpipes, but in 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 life-cycle carbon footprint per car by 40 per cent between 2018 and 2025. This is seen as the first tangible step toward 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.