Volvo begins production of 2021 XC40 Recharge EV
After revealing the Volvo XC40 Recharge EV crossover late last year, the Swedish carmaker recently announced that production for its first-ever all-electric vehicle has begun this month. Aiming to reduce its CO2 footprint per car by 40-percent by 2024 – Volvo is also expecting 50-percent of global sales to consist of fully electric cars by then – the 2021 XC40 Recharge EV will arrive at European dealerships in mid-October 2020.
The new XC40 Recharge also happens to be Volvo's most powerful production car. It's essentially an all-electric version of the gasoline-powered XC40. It also has two electric motors rated at 201 horsepower per axle, good for a combined output of 402 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque channeled to all four wheels.
With this much power, Volvo claims the XC40 Recharge can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7-seconds despite weighing close to 4,830 pounds. And unlike other EVs, the XC40 Recharge only has two driving modes to simplify your driving moments: Normal and One Pedal mode, the latter of which activates regenerative braking (and recharges the batteries) upon lifting the gas pedal as you drive.
"Today is a momentous occasion for Volvo Cars and all employees here in Ghent," said Javier Varela, head of global industrial operations and quality. "As we continue to electrify our line-up, the Ghent plant is a real trailblazer for our global manufacturing network."
Volvo's newest EV is riding on a Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform co-developed by Volvo and parent company Geely. It's also the same platform that underpins the gasoline and diesel-powered XC40 along with the Polestar 2 EV. The XC40 Recharge has a 78 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, good for an EPA-rated range of 208 miles. According to Volvo, the battery pack recharges to 80-percent capacity in under 40 minutes using a 150 kW DC fast-charger.
Similar to the gasoline-only XC40, the EV version will get an Android infotainment system with Google Maps, Google Assistant, and unlimited access to the Google Play Store. The XC40 Recharge will also support over-the-air (OTA) wireless updates for its software and operating systems.
The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge arrives in Europe this month, while the first U.S. deliveries are expected to arrive in early 2021. Volvo has yet to announce pricing and other specifics, but we reckon the 2021 XC40 Recharge P8 AWD will start at around $48,000 to $50,000 after federal tax credits.