- an electric xc40, the first ev from volvo, is slated to make its debut on october 16.
- the compact crossover will use two motors to deliver torque to the front and rear wheels.
- volvo says battery-electric vehicles will make up half of the brand’s lineup by 2025.
update 10/2/19: volvo has released sketches of the upcoming electric version of the xc40 crossover that detail the new model's exterior design differences. a closed-off front grille, a charging port on the rear driver's side fender, and a cleaner rear fascia without a tailpipe headline the changes.
volvo also says that the xc40 ev will be available in a new color called sage green metallic and will come standard with a contrasting black roof. distinct 19- and 20-inch wheels options will be offered, and the interior will feature recycled materials and a new digital interface to show ev-specific data. a small "frunk" under the hood will provide a claimed 1 cubic foot of cargo space.
volvo's first electric vehicle, a battery-powered version of the xc40 compact crossover, will make its debut on october 16. the swedish automaker confirmed the electric xc40's existence and imminent unveiling in an announcement that reveals a few details about what we can expect.
illustrations of the xc40's electric powertrain show that it will offer all-wheel drive using front and rear motors. the body of the electric xc40 appears largely unchanged from gasoline versions, and the battery pack is shaped to fill voids beneath the floor, under the rear seat, and inside the tunnel that runs down the center of the crossover.
true to brand, volvo says it has put significant effort into the safety engineering of the electrified xc40. specifically, the company says the xc40 will debut a new driver-assistance-system sensor platform that integrates radar, camera, and ultrasonic technologies to enable increasingly sophisticated functions. volvo's engineers also redesigned the front and rear crash structures and developed the motor mounts to control how the electric motors behave in a collision. these are common measures when automakers adapt vehicles originally designed around internal-combustion engines for electric powertrains. in the mercedes-benz eqc, a tubular front subframe surrounds the electric motor and extends into the transmission tunnel, where an additional mount attaches it to the body. this structure is meant to perform like a combustion engine in a crash, transferring front-impact forces into the body and away from occupants.
volvo’s xc40 will be late to the electric party by the time it goes on sale, but the company says its entire lineup will soon be electrified in some form or another. if all goes according to plan, half of the volvo lineup will be driven by pure electric powertrains by 2025, while the other half of the range will be hybrids.
the company also recently launched polestar, a separate brand focused on electrified performance vehicles. the first vehicle from that brand, the polestar 1, is a 591-hp plug-in-hybrid coupe. it will be followed by the predictably named polestar 2, which is a pure electric four-door sedan.