XC40 Recharge has 250 mile range as Volvo EV offensive begins in earnest

Volvo has unveiled its first pure electric car, the XC40 Recharge. It's based on the existing compact SUV, slipping into an attractive segment of the market where there aren't currently a huge range of rivals. 

Not only is Volvo showcasing this first vehicle, but changing gear on electrification in general, saying that there will be an electric car launch every year for the next 5 years - with the ambition of moving to 50 per cent sales from EVs by 2025. 

The range of electric Volvos will be known by the moniker "Recharge" and there will be a Recharge version of each car in the range, from the 60 Series cars through to the flagship XC90.

Taking this approach means that there's a high degree of conventionality and familiarity in the XC40 Recharge - it looks basically the same as the internal combustion version, except with a closed-off nose.

The XC40 is all-wheel drive, with a total output of 408hp, giving a 0-62mph time of 4.9 seconds. There's a 78kWh battery that will recharge to 80 per cent in around 40 minutes, supporting fast charging up to 150kW.

The interior looks the same as the existing XC40, but we'd already heard that it would offer a new infotainment system, running on the Android Automotive OS. That means you'll get native Google Maps and other services - including the ability to download compatible Android apps directly to the car to get what you want.

There's a new digital driver display to support this, with relevant information for electric car drivers.

What's not currently known is the price that Volvo is going to be asking. Currently the XC40 plug-in hybrid starts at £40,905 and we suspect it will be slightly less than this.

The Volvo XC40 Recharge will be available in 2020.

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