VOLVO LAUNCHES NEW ELECTRIC COUPÉ
Firm’s second EV is more stylish sister of XC40 P8, with 402bhp and 420km range
Volvo has introduced its second electric vehicle: the C40 Recharge, a coupé reworking of the new XC40 Recharge P8 SUV.
Due to go into production this autumn with first deliveries before 2022, the C40 is being launched in line with Volvo’s ambition for half of its global sales to be full EVs by 2025 and to be an EV-only firm by 2030.
Built on the Swedish company’s CMA platform, the C40 is based on the electric version of the XC40, gaining a sloping roofline and a new rear light design. The front features a progression of the XC40 P8’s closed-off grille, which is “a new face for electric Volvos”.
At 4,431mm long and 2,035mm wide, the C40 has the same exterior dimensions as the XC40, except it is 690mm shorter, at 1,582mm, due to the coupé roof.
The sloping rear reduces rear passenger head room by 62mm, although boot capacity is scarcely affected, at 413 litres.
The C40 uses the same powertrain as its XC40 P8 and Polestar 2 relations, with a 201bhp electric motor mounted on each axle for combined outputs of 402bhp and 660Nm at 4,350rpm. This results in a claimed 0-100kph time of 4.9sec. And, as with all Volvo models now, its top speed is limited to 180kph.
A 78kWh lithium ion battery offers an estimated range of 420km. It can be charged at up to 11kW by an AC charger and up to 150kW by a DC charger, the latter allowing an 80% charge from empty in around 40 minutes. Volvo says that this should improve over the car’s lifetime through planned over-the-air software updates.
The C40 sits on MacPherson strut suspension up front with a multi-link set-up at the rear.
The new SUV will be offered with a range of unique interior trim colours and lines and will be Volvo’s first completely leather-free model.
It also features Volvo’s new Androidbased touchscreen infotainment system, which was jointly developed with Google, and will be offered with unlimited data usage to enable overthe-air updates.
As well as offering the C40 with only a fully electric powertrain, Volvo says that it has “dramatically reduced” the number of variants in the range. However, like the XC40 P8, it is likely to be sold with a number of different power outputs and battery capacities.
Unusually, the C40 will be available exclusively online, either to buy outright or to be obtained through the Care by Volvo subscription scheme. It will also be offered with a “care package” that includes servicing, a warranty and roadside assistance, along with insurance and home-charging options where available.
Prices have yet to be set, but the C40 is likely to command a small premium over the XC40 P8’s base cost of just over 2 million baht.
The C40 will be produced alongside the XC40 at Volvo’s factory in Ghent, Belgium. It will be followed by an electric version of the next-generation XC90 seven-seater — tipped to arrive next year — and a smaller SUV built on a new platform, set to be named the XC20.