- It is the first all-electric Volvo to be introduced in the country

- Deliveries to commence from October 2021

With the Volvo S60 picking up pace with the bookings and deliveries, the Swedish carmaker is now turning its attention to its much anticipated XC40 Recharge. Unveiled in the country today, the pure electric SUV will be retailed in the country through the CBU route and the bookings are slated to commence from June 2021. The deliveries will begin in October 2021. The booking amount and the number of units to be imported are not disclosed yet.

Visually, the Recharge mimics the standard ICE XC40 and the only noticeable difference is the blanked out front grille painted in body colour holding the Volvo logo. Additionally, it gets the Recharge badging at the rear and interestingly, the charging point retains its position in the same place as the fuel-inlet point on the standard XC SUV. Other highlights include the LED headlamps with T-shaped DRLs, raised vertical LED tail lamps, dual-tone exterior paint scheme, and black cladding on the fore and aft bumpers.

The XC40 Recharge houses a floor-placed 78kWh battery pack powering two electric motors, one on each axle jointly producing 402hp and 660Nm of torque This makes the EV sprint from 0-100kmph in just 4.9 seconds with a limited top speed of 180kmph. Volvo quotes a WLTP range of 418 km. Available charging options is to include a 150kW DC fast charger capable of topping the battery from zero to 80 per cent in just 40 minutes. An 11kW AC fast charger is also likely to be offered with the capacity to charge from zero to 100 per cent in eight to ten hours.

The XC40 will be the brand’s first electric offering towards the ambition of becoming a climate-neutral company and will launch one fully-electric car over the next four years with an aim to reach total global sales of EVs to 50 per cent by 2025. The upcoming eSUV will go up against the Mercedes-Benz EQC, the upcoming Jaguar I-Pace, and the Audi e-tron.

Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India, said, “Our first electric car XC40 Recharge has been received very well globally and we expect the same in India as well. Starting this year we will launch one electric car every year in the Indian market and by 2030 we aspire to become a fully electric car company. This will reinforce our values and commitment towards sustainability and climate safety.”