The XC40 Recharge is everything customers expect from a Volvo, with the addition of a state-of-the-art, fully electric all-wheel drive powertrain that offers a range of over 400 km (WLTP) on a single charge and output of 408hp. The battery charges to 80 % of its capacity in 40 mins on a fast-charger system.

Unencumbered by a bulky combustion engine, the XC40 Recharge has no need for tailpipes or a large grille for cooling purposes. Unique to the electric XC40, its special front load compartment (or ‘frunk’) located under the front hood provides around 30 litres of extra load space because an electric motor takes less space than a combustion engine.

Recharge For Life

Volvo’s first ever fully electric car is here and it dons a familiar face – the XC40 Recharge.

Recharge For Life- The XC40 Recharge

Future Volvo customers will need to answer one fundamental question: do you want a new Volvo with a cord or without one? Volvo Cars has just introduced the XC40 Recharge, the company’s first ever fully electric car and the first model to appear in its brand new Recharge car line concept.

Based on the multi-award-winning and best-selling XC40 small SUV, the XC40 Recharge is the first of a family of fully electric Volvos. It represents a true milestone for Volvo Cars: the company’s first electric car and the first Volvo with a brand new infotainment system powered by Google’s Android operating system.

A unique, covered front grille in body colour creates a distinct visual identity at the front of the car, made possible by the fact that an electric car needs less air flow for cooling purposes. The grille also neatly packages the sensors for the new Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensor platform.

Eight exterior colours, including a brand new Sage Green metallic option, allow drivers to personalise their electric XC40, while a contrasting black roof comes as standard. Two new 19” and 20” wheel options provide further opportunity for personalisation.

Inside, a brand new driver interface specifically designed for electric cars keeps drivers up to date on relevant information such as battery status, while the interior design package features sporty styling details as well as carpets made of recycled materials.

At the same time the fully electric XC40 retains all the features that have made it one of Volvo Cars’ best-selling models. It also embraces the elegant, Scandinavian design language that has defined Volvo’s rebirth and combines good looks with utility and functionality.

“The roots of Scandinavian design are based on visual clarity and the reduction of element. The XC40 is a great example of this,” said Robin Page, head of design at Volvo Cars.

“Its bold, instantly recognisable design is now even sleeker and more modern in the all-electric version. Without the need for a grille we have created an even cleaner and more modern face, while the lack of tailpipes does the same at the rear. This is the approach we will explore more and more as we continue down the road of electrification,” Page continued.

“Regardless of what drives a car forward, be it an electric machine or combustion engine, a Volvo must be safe. The fully electric XC40 will be one of the safest cars we have ever built,” says Malin Ekholm, head of safety at Volvo Cars.

While building on the excellent safety standards of the original XC40, Volvo Cars safety engineers had to completely redesign and reinforce the frontal structure to deal with the absence of an engine, meet Volvo Cars’ high safety requirements and help keep occupants as safe as in any other Volvo.

“The fundamentals around safety are the same for this car as for any other Volvo. People are inside, and the car needs to be designed to be safe for them,” Ekholm added.

The battery-powered XC40, first previewed in the electric 40.1 Concept vehicle of 2016, is also an example of smart Volvo engineering. Based on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), which was designed from the outset with electrification in mind, the battery pack is integrated into the floor of the car without affecting interior space.

This means the wealth of suitable and functional storage space around the cabin remains in place as one of the major attractions of the XC40. An ingenious and radical new approach to interior design provides XC40 drivers with, among other things, more functional storage space in the doors and under the seats, a fold-out hook for small bags and a removable waste bin in the tunnel console.

With the XC40 Recharge, Volvo Cars is not just launching its first fully electric car – in true Volvo tradition, it is also introducing one of the safest cars on the road, despite a fresh set of challenges presented by the absence of an internal combustion engine.

In terms of active safety systems, the battery-powered XC40 also introduces new technology. It is the first Volvo model equipped with a new Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensor platform with software developed by Zenuity, the joint venture company owned by Volvo Cars and Veoneer.

The new ADAS platform is a modern, scalable active safety system that consists of an array of radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors. Because of its scalable nature it can easily be developed further and lays the foundation for the future introduction of autonomous drive technology.

The infotainment system of the XC40 Recharge is fundamentally different from the existing setup found in the regular XC40. Powered by Android, the new infotainment system offers customers unprecedented personalisation, with the Google Assistant, Google Maps and the Google Play Store built-in.

To help keep passengers safe and the battery intact in the event of a collision, Volvo Cars also developed a new and unique safety structure for passengers and battery alike in the XC40. The battery is protected by a safety cage which consists of a frame of extruded aluminum and has been embedded in the middle of the car’s body structure, creating a built-in crumple zone around the battery.

The battery’s placement in the floor of the car also has the benefit of lowering the center of gravity of the car, for better protection against roll-overs.

Meanwhile, the car’s body structure has not just been reinforced in the front, but also at the rear. Here, the electric powertrain has been integrated in the body structure to realise a better distribution of collision forces away from the cabin and reduce the strain on people inside the car.

The Google Assistant allows customers to get things done using just their voice for in-car functions such as controlling temperature, setting a destination, playing their favourite music and podcasts on apps like Spotify, and keeping in touch by for example sending messages.

This integration contributes to reducing driver distraction, helping drivers keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. The Google Assistant also allows you to interact with your smart-home devices from your Volvo car.

Google Maps will be able to provide refreshed map and traffic data in real time, keeping drivers informed about upcoming traffic situations and proactively suggesting alternative routes, as well as suggesting the nearest charging station en route.

This same rich and fresh map data will be used to improve the capabilities of the XC40’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) by providing important information such as speed limits and curves in the road to the car.

Volvo Cars also continues to develop software and connected services, using its growing force of software engineers and its digital services platform Volvo On Call.

The electric XC40 is also the first Volvo that will receive software and operating system updates over the air, placing Volvo Cars at the forefront of automotive connected services. The fully electric XC40 will keep evolving and improving over time, rather than it being at its peak when it leaves the factory.

“We are finally giving you the same experience in your car that you’re used to on your phone, but adapted for safe interaction while driving,” says Henrik Green, Chief Technology Officer at Volvo Cars. “And by introducing over-the-air updates for everything from maintenance to completely new features, the car can stay as fresh as your other digital products, always with the latest and greatest features.”

One of the best features of Android Automotive OS is that it is an Android operating system familiar to millions of developers, tailored to run in the car. Technology and services created by Google and Volvo Cars developers are embedded in the car, while additional music and media apps optimised and adapted for cars will be available through the Google Play Store.

From early 2020 customers entering the Volvo Cars website will first be asked whether they want a Volvo Recharge car or not. To further encourage electric driving, every Volvo Recharge plug-in hybrid model will come with free electricity for a year, provided through a refund for the average electricity cost during that period.

“We have said this several times before: for Volvo Cars, the future is electric,” said Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive.

“Today we take a major new step in that direction with the launch of our fully electric XC40 and the Recharge car line,” he added

For example, the new infotainment system will be fully integrated with Volvo On Call, offering new features such as monitoring battery status and charging levels.

Volvo On Call classics such as pre-heating your car on a cold winter’s day, finding your car in a large parking lot, remote locking and unlocking and car sharing via a digital key are also included.

Over the next five years, Volvo Cars will launch a fully electric car every year, as it seeks to make all-electric cars 50 per cent of global sales by 2025, with the rest hybrids. Recharge will be the overarching name for all chargeable Volvos with a fully electric and plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Every Volvo 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. Volvo Cars is the only car maker to offer a plug-in variant on every model in its line-up.

To meet the anticipated growth in demand for its Recharge cars, Volvo Cars will triple production capacity for electrified cars and will as of next year prepare a Designer’s Choice selection of popular Recharge models, offering the potential for radically reduced delivery times. Volvo Cars aims for plug-in hybrid cars to make up 20 per cent of total sales in 2020.