Volvo, the car manufacturer formerly known for its boxy designs, is doing some good for the environment these days and is going electric. They just recently released their new Volvo XC40 Recharge, the company’s very first fully electric vehicle. It’s also one of the first vehicles to have the Google Android OS inside. We Skype in with Volvo Canada’s managing director, Matt Girgis, to talk about what this new vehicle represents in the company’s direction towards electrification.
The Volvo XC40 Recharge builds on its SUV line with a fully electrified all-wheel-drive powertrain which boasts a range of 320 km per charge. The battery charges to 80% in approximately 40 mins on most Level 3 DC charging systems up to 150 kW, but it will depend on the usual considerations like temperature and charger output. For those interested in performance, the engine outputs 400 hp.
As mentioned, the Volvo XC40 Recharge will be one of the first vehicles to feature Google’s mobile operating system, Android OS, built right inside. This integration will not only power the Infotainment system, but will also power the company’s Volvo On Call system. As you can imagine, this will also allow integration with mobile apps, so you can do all the geeky things like monitor your car’s charging, and how green your driving is. Other features like remote start and other convenience features will likely find themselves into the integration as well.
Moving forward, Volvo plans to launch every vehicle in an electrified edition, from the XC40 SUV to its largest XC90 SUV. The company has also made an environmental commitment to manufacturing each vehicle with up to 25% recycled materials.
As of today, no pricing has been announced, but Mr. Girgis has stated that it will be competitive with other offerings in the marketplace. He doesn’t specify which vehicles are in their sights, but we can’t imagine that Tesla and their upcoming compact SUV, the Model Y will not be considered. Hopefully, Volvo Car Karaoke will also make an appearance in the near future.
The Volvo XC40 Recharge is scheduled to appear in Canada in Late 2020. For more information, you can check out their website.