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There is a lot of talk regarding Electric Vehicles currently and it is clear that consumer interest is there but lack of choices has meant that the interest does not prosper to the thought of actually owning one. In the luxury space, we are yet to see any compact or dare we say it, “affordable” EVs.
Volvo is trying to change that with its future product strategy. It is going the electric way with full force. It has said that it will introduce one new EV every year and expects 80 percent of its sales to be from EVs within a few years. However, let us look at what we have now. Here is the XC40 Recharge and you can buy one within a few months. Yes, bookings will start in June and it will be the most affordable luxury SUV in India. It would be a premium product above the MG ZS or other SUVs but below the significantly more expensive luxury EV SUVs (upcoming or present).
The XC40 Recharge is the first electric Volvo and it will have a claimed range of 418km. This range is as per the WLTP and EPA driving cycle. Expect a real-world range of up to 350 km at least but Volvo claims that it will live up to its claimed range and the real-world results would not be massively different.
That said, a range of 418km is impressive and Volvo will provide a charging set-up for the owner while extra charging facilities or other information would be revealed closer to the launch or deliveries later in the year. It of course supports fast charging. The XC40 Recharge is also quick with a 0-100km/h time of 4.9 seconds while it has around 408hp and 660Nm.
The XC40 Recharge also has a twin battery set-up and will also be continuing to have the permanent AWD system. In terms of design or features, the XC40 Recharge is nearly the same when compared to the petrol model but the XC40 Recharge does get a new grille and different alloys while on offer would also be a built-in Google Android operating system.
The car would also have the “Volvo On Call” feature, the company’s digital connected services platform. Else, all of the luxury or even the safety features are seen on the petrol XC40 would also be seen here. The XC40 petrol is Rs 40 lakh while we expect Volvo to keep pricing competitive, hence a massive difference is not expected with the petrol and the electric models. If prices start around Rs 50 lakh, it would mean that the XC40 Recharge will not have any competition and that’s good for Volvo while for buyers it would mean finally more choice to go fully electric.
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