tech2 News StaffMar 09, 2021 21:28:57 IST
Today, Volvo brought its maiden all-electric SUV, the XC40 Recharge, to India for the first time ahead of its launch in the coming months. Bookings for the Volvo XC40 Recharge will open in the month of June, and deliveries of the electric SUV will commence in October. Volvo Car India will also launch the updated S90 sedan and XC60 SUV later this year, and following the introduction of the XC40 Recharge, the company has confirmed it will also bring the C40 Recharge electric coupe-SUV to India in 2022.
For the uninitiated, the XC40 Recharge is a pure-electric derivative of the standard Volvo XC40, which has been on sale in India now for a few years. Most would be hard-pressed to find differences between the combustion-engined version and the Recharge, as they look nearly the same. However, the Recharge has a sealed grille section and gets a unique alloy wheel design. On the inside, the big difference is that the Recharge has Volvo’s Google Android-based infotainment system, which is ready for over-the-air updates.
On the WLTP cycle, the Volvo XC40 Recharge has a range of 418km. Image: Volvo Car India
The Recharge – unveiled in 2019 – has a 78kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is the source of energy for the SUV’s two electric motors that send power to all four wheels. Combined output stands at 408 hp and 660 Nm of torque, which gives the XC40 Recharge a claimed 0-100 kph time of 4.9 seconds, but like all other Volvos now, the XC40 Recharge is also electronically limited to 180 kph.
On the WLTP cycle, the Volvo XC40 Recharge has a range of 418km on a full charge. Volvo Car India will offer a complimentary home charger to buyers of the XC40, and while that AC charger won’t result in the quickest of recharges, a DC fast charger can juice the XC40 Recharge back up to 80 percent in as little as 40 minutes.
Volvo has previously hinted at considering local assembly for the XC40 Recharge, but at this point, it appears that the Swedish carmaker has decided to begin sales of the Recharge by shipping it in as a full import, at least to start with. While it certainly will be significantly pricier than the combustion-engined model, the Volvo XC40 Recharge’s expected price tag of Rs 50-55 lakh (ex-showroom) will still make it the most affordable EV from a luxury carmaker in India.
With the XC40 Recharge, Volvo is setting into action its plan to transition into an EV-only brand by 2030. The company is targeting doubling its volumes in the next two years. It also foresees electrified vehicles making up 80 percent of its sales volume in India by 2025 and has previously stated it will phase out all combustion-engined models – including hybrids – from its portfolio by the end of this decade.
