Swedish luxury car maker Volvo Car India has announced that it will commence deliveries of  its first full electric car – the XC40 Recharge – in October 2021. Bookings for the eco-friendly SUV are to open in June 2021. 

The launch of the all-electric XC40in October will mark the start of Volvo India’s ambitious plans to have 80 percent of its India sales come from all-electric vehicles by 2025.

The all-electric version of the XC40 gets a 78kWh lithium-ion battery mounted low in the floor.It powers two 204hp electric motors – one on each axle – which simulate permanent all-wheel drive. With a combined output of 408hp and 660Nm of torque, the XC40 Recharge is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100kph in a claimed 4.9sec, though the top speed is limited to 180kph.

As with most other EVs on sale in India, the XC40 Recharge’s battery can be charged via an AC charger or a DC fast-charger, with the latter said to take 40 minutes to bring it up to 80 percent. The battery has a WLTP-certified 418km of range on a single charge.

"We are committeed to becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric car market and plan to double our volumes in the next two years.We will commence bookings of our first pure electric SUV, XC40 Recharge in June this year and start deliveries three months hence. By 2025 electric cars should constitute 80 percent of our annual sales," said Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India.

He added, “Our first electric car XC40 Recharge has been received very well globally and we expect the same in India as well. Starting this year, we will launch one electric car every year in the Indian market and by 2030 we aspire to become a fully electric car company.This will reinforce our values and commitment towards sustainability and climate safety.”

As part of its sustainability initiatives, the company announced that it aims to become carbon neutral by 2040. The company is also gearing towards having all Its dealerships in India becoming green dealerships. It is undertaking skill upgradation of its dealer workforce to familarise them EV technology as well as to respond to the exacting requirements of its customers.

Volvo Cars India aims to sell only fully electric cars and phase out any car, in the portfolio, with an internal combustion engine, including hybrids by 2030. This is in sync with the brand’s global climate plan.

Pricing and positioning
When the XC40 Recharge is launched in India, it will not have any direct rivals and will also be the most affordable all-electric luxury SUV on sale in India. Larger luxury SUVs, such as the Mercedes-Benz EQC and the soon-to-arrive Jaguar I-Pace and Audi e-tron operate in a different space of contention, while at the lower end of the market sit the Hyundai Kona Electric, MG ZS EV and the Tata Nexon EV.

Volvo, which entered India in 2007, currently markets products through 25 dealerships in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi NCR – South Delhi, West Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Raipur, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, West Mumbai, South Mumbai, Pune, Raipur, Surat, Vishakhapatnam and Vijayawada.