Volvo Cars has begun to produce the C40 Recharge, its latest fully electric model, at its manufacturing plant in Ghent, Belgium. The C40 Recharge is Volvo Cars’ second fully electric car and is the latest in a series of new pure electric cars to be launched in the coming years. By 2030, Volvo Cars says it aims to sell only fully electric cars. It also aims to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
The Ghent plant, one of the company’s largest, is a trailblazer in Volvo Cars’ move toward all-out electrification, the company says. It also produces the XC40 Recharge, the fully electric version of the company’s compact SUV and Volvo Cars’ first fully electric model.
Volvo Cars says the C40 Recharge offers the benefits of an SUV, but with a lower and sleeker design. The rear of the C40 Recharge features a rear-end design to go with the lower roofline, while the new front design introduces a new face for electric Volvos and includes headlights with pixel technology. Inside, the C40 Recharge provides customers with the high seating position, while it is available with color and deco options unique to the model. It is also the first Volvo model to be completely leather-free.
Like the XC40 Recharge, the C40 Recharge comes with an infotainment system jointly developed with Google and based on the Android operating system. It provides consumers with Google apps and services built-in, such as Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play. The C40 Recharge is designed to receive software updates over the air.
The propulsion consists of twin electric motors, one on the front and one on the rear axle, powered by a 78kWh battery that can be fast-charged from to 10-80% in about 40 minutes. It offers an anticipated range of around 420 km (approx. 261 miles).
Volvo Cars is increasing electric car capacity at the Ghent facility to 135,000 cars per year, and already expects more than half of the plant’s production volume in 2022 to consist of fully electric cars.
The company says it will roll out several additional electric models in coming years and aims for 50% of its global sales volume to consist of fully electric cars by 2025, before becoming fully electric by 2030.
