Volvo C40 Recharge revealed as brand’s first exclusively electric car

Volvo has unveiled its first exclusively electric car - the C40 Recharge.

Shortly after announcing that its entire model range will be purely electric by 2030, the Swedish brand took the wraps off its newest model - the first in its history which will not be offered with any form of combustion engine.

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Based on the same CMA platform as the XC40 - currently sold as an EV or petrol/electric hybrid - Volvo claims the C40 offers all the benefits of an SUV but with a lower and sleeker design.

The C40 shares the XC40’s footprint, raised ride height and high seating position but features a sloping rear roofline to give it a more dynamic appearance and a redesigned tail with new high-level lights with a distinctive signature pattern.

At the front, the C40 introduces a new “face” for Volvo’s electric family, featuring a blanked-off grille area and pixel LED headlights.

The Volvo C40 is powered by a twin-motor setup offering all-wheel-drive and a 78kWh battery. Volvo says this will give the C40 a range of around 260 miles and rapid charging will replenish 80 per cent of charge in 40 minutes. Volvo says that over-the-air software updates could help extend its range in future. Power outputs for the motors have not been confirmed but the twin-motor XC40 Recharge P8 offers 402bhp and 487lb ft.

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Inside, the C40 is the first Volvo to be completely leather-free - a pattern which will be followed by all subsequent Volvo EVs. At the heart of the car is the latest Volvo infotainment system powered by Google’s Android Automotive OS and with unlimited data access.

The C40 will be the first Volvo to be sold exclusively online - part of the brand’s strategy to move all sales to an online platform.

“The C40 Recharge represents the future of Volvo and shows where we are going,” said Henrik Green, chief technology officer for Volvo Cars. “It is fully electric, offered online only with a convenient care package and will be available for quick delivery. Getting a new Volvo was never this attractive.”

Production of the Volvo C40 will begin in autumn 2021 and it will be built alongside the XC40 Recharge in Ghent, Belgium.

No word has been given on price but the XC40 Recharge P8 First Edition - the only variant available to order - is £60,000.

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