Production of the first Volvo car began at the beginning of last October exclusively marketed as electric, the C40 Recharge. This compact SUV is a kind of “coupe” variant of the XC40 Recharge, with which it shares a platform (CMA) and mechanical components. Both are manufactured in the factory owned by the Swedish firm in Ghent (Belgium).
Currently, the plant is in full transformation– Looking ahead to 2022, Volvo aims for 60% of the vehicles manufactured at its facilities to be electric, which is why it is expanding its production capacity. Those responsible for the company estimate that between October and December 2021 some 6,000 / 7,000 units of the newcomer will be assembled, which is already being a commercial success.
In fact, the SUV is already sold out for the remainder of 2021, as current orders will not be fulfilled until February 2022. This highlights the growing demand for zero-emission vehicles in the European market, supporting Volvo’s vision of becoming a 100% electric brand by the end of the decade.
Unlike the XC40 Recharge, the C40 Recharge is currently only available in its most performing and capable version, known as Recharge Twin Motor. This model uses two electric motors (one on each axle, so it has all-wheel drive) capable of delivering a combined maximum power of 408 hp and a torque of 660 Nm.
The C40 Recharge is Volvo’s second electric car
The model can do the 0 to 100 km / h in 4.7 seconds, reaching a top speed of 180 km / h seconds. Its 78 kWh battery pack allows it to homologate a maximum range of 441 km under the European WLTP cycle. Regarding the load, it is capable of accepting powers of up to 150 kW in direct current, taking about 40 minutes to recover 80% of its range.
Currently, The Volvo C40 Recharge starts in our country from 54,167 euros; However, we must not lose sight of the fact that, as we have indicated before, at the moment it is only marketed in its most powerful variant. It is expected that the range will be completed later with the arrival of a Recharge Single Motor version, which should inherit the configuration already seen in the homonymous XC40 Recharge (231 hp and 330 Nm engine coupled to the front axle, 69 kWh batteries , etc). The hypothetical launch of a long-range version resulting from combining the 231 hp engine with the 78 kWh battery is also not ruled out.
