Volvo will electrify lineup starting with an electric XC40
By Wade Thiel
Volvo’s fully electric XC40 won’t debut until 2019, but it’ll be the first of many to come.
Volvo has a plan to have half of its sales come from electric vehicles by 2025. To make this happen, the company will start making fully electric vehicles.
Instead of building new EVs it’s going to electrify its current vehicles, starting with an electric XC40.
Volvo design chief Thomas Ingenlath told Autocar that the electric version of the XC40 will come after the Polestar 2, which is Volvo’s former production brand turned EV carmaker’s second car after the Polestar 1. Shortly following the XC40 electric vehicle debut will be a fully electric version of the XC90.
Volvo Will Electrify Its Existing Lineup
Ingenlath told Autocar that Volvo will not create special EV models, and instead will roll out fully electrified powertrains in existing models within the lineup. He even voiced concerns about companies who choose to build exclusive EV models, saying that it poses problems.
"“Electrification is the future of the automotive industry, so how do you handle that as soon as you come to the majority of electric cars? How do you handle it in your portfolio? I think it’s much more natural to say it’s a powertrain variant that over time will take up the majority of the sold vehicles,” said Ingenlath."
This means Volvo will offer customer’s XC40s or XC90s with whatever powertrain they want: gas, hybrid, or fully electric.
The Electric XC40’s Known Specifications
Not much is known about the XC40’s specifications, but the model will have a lithium-ion battery pack, according to Autocar. If Volvo wants the electric XC40 to compete with other EVs out there, it will have to have a range of well over 100 miles.
It will be interesting to see the performance numbers. Those numbers will likely appear closer to the vehicle’s launch. It’s worth noting that the Polestar brand has some innovative EV technology. The Polestar 1 features 600 hp and a range of about 93 miles. While the range is too short, it’s within reason to believe that Volvo could make the electric version of the XC40 have a more competitive range well over 100 miles, especially with the performance toned down a bit.
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Volvo will have to answer a lot of questions about the electric XC40 in the coming months leading up to the vehicle launch. It will be interesting to see how the vehicle comes together. One thing’s for sure, though, Volvo seems determined to make good on its goal set for 2025.